Wilderness today reiterated its unwavering commitment to creating sustainable impact across Botswana’s pristine landscapes and communities. As one of the country’s leading conservation tourism operators, Wilderness has spent over four decades pioneering a model that fuses high-value eco-tourism with deep-rooted community partnerships and environmental stewardship, and this is what the business shared amongst esteemed stakeholders at a recent engagement in Gaborone with members of the diplomatic, private and public sectors.
Through multifaceted operations and long-standing partnerships, Wilderness has channelled over P4.8 billion in foreign exchange into Botswana’s economy over the past 10 years, demonstrating the power of nature-based tourism to generate both economic growth and ecological protection. The Children in the Wilderness (CITW) programme, active in Botswana since 2001, has reached more than 2,300 young learners, empowering the next generation of conservationists, many of whom now work within the tourism sector as guides, chefs, and managers.
“At Wilderness, we see ourselves as custodians of something far bigger than business”, says Kabelo Binns, Wilderness Botswana Board Chairman. “Everything we do – from hiring Batswana, to sourcing farm-to-fork, to investing in education – is anchored in the belief that conservation must benefit people as much as it does wildlife. The health of one depends on the other”.
Wilderness’ tangible impact is reflected in the numbers, including but not limited to:
- 97 conservation and community projects supported through the Wilderness Trust, valued at P29 million
- P1.2 billion paid in staff wages over the last 10 years, supporting over 1,100 livelihoods – 97% of whom are citizens
- P305 million paid over the last 10 years in concession fees to government and communities, helping protect over 257,000 hectares of ecologically critical land
- P1.8 billion spent locally in the last decade through an 85% local procurement policy.
Even amid global crises like COVID-19 and recent droughts, Wilderness has stood with its partner communities, having delivered over 10,000 food parcels to date in emergency relief.
Wilderness’ Impact Strategy is premised on three key pillars of working to Empower, Educate and Protect. Each and every action, effort or gesture, direct or indirect, has a desire for meaningful, sustainable impact in these spheres and oftentimes overlapping. It is because we are duty-bound, in our view, to ensure not only sustainable conservation economies, but to deliver the greater good in communities and country”, comments Derek de la Harpe, Wilderness Holdings Chief Risk and Corporate Affairs Officer. “When guests choose us, they are directly contributing to Botswana’s progress – not just in conserving landscapes, but in empowering the people who call those beautiful places home”.
Now, Wilderness is expanding its investment in local agriculture, with a farm soon to be operational in Shorobe to supply fresh produce to its camps. Initiatives like this aim to deepen local economic participation, enhance food security, and foster coexistence between people and wildlife.
With over P700 million invested in Botswana since 2016 and an ongoing emphasis on sustainable growth, Wilderness remains committed to building a future where conservation is not only possible, but profitable – for the country, for communities, and for generations to come. This is what the future of partnering for progress looks like.
