Green Tourism

Writer: Makhosi ‘Mak’ Ncube Photography: Machaba Safaris

‘Wow, beautiful! Look at those elephants play, Mak. But what is that?’ asks one of my guests, pointing at a shiny-looking platform in the distance. ‘That,’ I reply with a smile on my face, ‘is a solar panel, responsible for pumping water to the surface so that animals can drink from one of the many underground rivers all over the park.’ Gone are the days when we used to pump the water using Lester diesel generators, whose droning sound was known throughout the park as the heartbeat of Hwange, and the animals knew that the sound meant water.

In a park with virtually no running rivers this was the only sustainable way to keep the animals alive and provided with water throughout the year, but alas, times change and we cannot intentionally continue using diesel generators non-stop while calling ourselves conservationists. With plenty of sunshine throughout the year, it was therefore a no-brainer to introduce solar power. This is a much cleaner source of energy as well as a quieter one. While we might have one or two occasional times when the generators are used, it’s safe to say that 90 per cent of the operations now run on solar. Even Ted Davies, the first warden of the park and the gentleman responsible for the remarkable idea of diesel engines to pump water to the surface, would be swelling with pride at the way things have turned out.

It’s no surprise therefore that tourism’s new favourite colour is green. Why green though? What is it about this colour that’s stolen the hearts and minds of both conservationists and travellers alike? For the scholars and the educated, when you say ‘green tourism’ they think of the peak season when it’s at its busiest, but for those of us who love the great bush when you say ‘green tourism’ we think ‘sustainable tourism’, leaving little or no carbon imprint, and when we think ‘conservation’ we think about how to have the most amazing time with as little negative impact as possible.

When I think of Zimbabwe as a destination, I think of one of the greenest places in the world, not because of the vegetation, but because of the various measures safari camps, donors and park authorities are taking to ‘go green’. Take for example Verney’s Camp, part of Machaba Safaris. The whole camp, which includes lighting, freezers, geysers and Wi-Fi, are all run by without doubt one of the biggest solar farms in Zimbabwe, with a staggering nearly 300 solar panels responsible for powering the camp. This is not because the law mandates it, but rather because of everyone playing their part in being eco-friendly and selflessly doing what is right for the animals and the environment.