ABSOLUTE ZAMBIA SAFARIS
THE ABSOLUTE EXPERIENCE
SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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INTERVIEW: ABSOLUTE ZAMBIA SAFARIS
ABSOLUTE EXPERIENCE
THE
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Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Robert Zgozi, Director at Absolute Zambia Safaris, about the company’s tailored safaris & tours, sustainable travel, and overcoming the challenges of COVID-19. Absolute Zambia Safaris is a registered limited company in Zambia, licensed by the Zambia Tourism Agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Arts. One of the country’s leading travel and tourism agencies, providing safaris & tours to the top destinations across Africa, the company was established by two indigenous Zambians, Robert Zgozi and Bertram Njobvu, and remains owner-run to this day, operating out of a head office in Chipata, in Zambia’s Eastern Province. Together, the pair have a combined experience of over 20 years working across Zambia’s tourism and hospitality sector, working towards their goal of sharing their passion for the African continent with travelers from across the globe. AWARD-WINNING TRAVEL Since first registering as a company in 2017, Absolute Zambia Safaris has been focused on offering clients the best in personalized safari and travel experiences. “In terms of our
specialties, we deal in safaris and tours that are tailor-made to our clients’ interests,” says Robert Zgozi, Director at Absolute Zambia Safaris. “This includes a lot of private-guided safaris and tours. Many of our clients, such as professional photographers, want to spend as much of their time on the sightings as possible, to learn and to observe animals while taking the best photos. We offer these within the most attractive areas of the country, such as South Luangwa National Park, Lower Zambezi National Park, Victoria Falls, Liuwa Plains National Park, Kasanka National Park (for the bat migration, which is the largest mammal migration in the world), the Bangweulu Wetlands, and Kafue National Park, the second-largest national park in Africa, among other amazing places, to offer our clients the complete African travel experience. We combine these destinations with those in neighboring Southern African countries, such as Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, promoting as much of the African continent as possible, and giving our clients an option to easily combine their trip with other amazing African countries, being a one-stop-travel shop for their African trip.. We also offer destination-management company services to several travel & tourism companies outside Zambia. For example, tour operators in the UK and beyond can sell Zambia as a destination to their clients, but once their clients travel to Zambia, we are going to manage everything on-the-ground as the ground handler from arrival to departure. We are specialists in Zambia as a destination and Africa at large. Most of our clients are international, from SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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INTERVIEW: ABSOLUTE ZAMBIA SAFARIS Europe and America, but we’re increasingly pushing towards the Asian market as well, by working with local partners in Asian countries. We are also seriously working on the local tourists, for Zambian residents interested in visiting these attractions and places across other African countries, as well as assisting regional clients to see what Zambia has to offer.” In 2020, Absolute Zambia Safaris receiving the award of ‘Zambia’s Leading Travel Agency’ from the prestigious World Travel Awards. “It’s an honor for us to have won this award,” says Mr. Zgozi. “It’s an amazing experience, after a lot of hard work. The year 2020 started on a very bad note for everyone across the travel and tourism industry, and Absolute Zambia Safaris was no exception. Winning this award gives us a lot of energy to keep doing what we do best, and even to do it better. It shows that we’re doing a great job in our service delivery and that we’re looking after our clients very well. We’ve decided to dedicate the award to all our clients, and to everyone who has been affected by the global pandemic.” SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS Absolute Zambia Safaris is a big supporter of conservation, sustainability, and responsible tourism. “We can’t talk about tourism without conservation,” insists Mr. Zgozi. “We encourage our clients to go green, for example, by recommending that they stay in hotels that have implemented recycling programs, and we ask that they abide by those guidelines. Or, if they’re staying in one location for more than a day or two, they are asked not to change their sheets and towels every day. Similarly, if they are leaving their rooms, they are encouraged to turn off their air condi-
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tioning, heaters, or other electricals. We also work with hotels, lodges, safari camps, and other travel-related service providers that have a direct impact on making a difference. That could be through providing local communities with clean water, to supporting youth sports activities, or indeed towards education sponsorships. We work with these people and businesses to try and encourage sustainable activities. Most lodges in Zambia also employ the majority of local people. We take time to visit these places, and to assess which sustainable efforts tourists might be keen to see or experience. All of our drivers and tour guides are local people with local experience. We engage them, and they are trained by professionals, while also trying to encourage them to do what we believe they are capable of doing.” DRIVING PROSPERITY Within its operations, Absolute Zambia Safaris is also championing practices that support the local economy. “Being a local company, our priority is the Zambian community,” says Mr. Zgozi. “We believe in sourcing whatever we can locally, as local businesses need
“WINNING THIS AWARD GIVES US A LOT OF ENERGY TO KEEP DOING WHAT WE LIKE DOING BEST, AND EVEN TO DO IT BETTER. IT SHOWS THAT WE’RE DOING A GREAT JOB IN OUR SERVICE DELIVERY, AND THAT WE’RE LOOKING AFTER OUR CLIENTS VERY WELL.”
our support. For example, we don’t order our uniforms online or abroad, but we try to source them from Zambian companies that are trying to make a living out of what they do. They’re the ones that we give these projects, whether it’s uniforms, or other marketing materials such as the printing of brochures, or the supplying of other stationery materials such as notepads. We always think local.” To this end, the company is investing and exploring in more ways to demonstrate the value of conservation to its clients. “We can’t encourage people to get involved in conservation if they don’t understand the benefits,” says Mr. Zgozi. “Hence, we recommend and arrange for our clients to visit conservation initiative programs, local schools, clinics, and
other developmental projects. Alongside wildlife and nature, there is an opportunity to interact with local communities, of which the majority of our clients are very enthusiastic about, in what we call travel-for-benefit. They want to see local people profiting from what they buy as a service, and to see that its being put into practice.”
SURVIVE AND THRIVE The tourism sector continues to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Absolute Zambia Safaris is no exception. “It is indeed a difficult time for everybody across the globe and all industries, especially the travel and tourism sector,” says Mr. Zgozi. “Our challenge is to find alternative
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INTERVIEW: ABSOLUTE ZAMBIA SAFARIS
“WE’RE DRIVEN BY BIG DREAMS AND VISIONS, DESPITE THIS GLOBAL CHALLENGE, WE HAVEN’T SHIFTED OUR FOCUS, AND WE STILL HAVE AIMS TO EXPAND.“
means. We’ve come up with measures to reduce our costs as we did for the first three months of the outbreak, then we keep on reviewing the measures, to try and cushion the business during this time. We’re trying to keep a connection with our clients, reminding them that we are in this together. For those scheduled to visit within this period, we are encouraging them to postpone instead of cancelling their trips. As we know,
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cancellations at this time are bad for tourism, for conservation, and from the perspective of company sustainability. Everyone is affected, but we’re hoping that things return to normal sooner rather than later.” The company is keeping a positive outlook with regards to the months and years ahead. “We’re driven by big dreams and visions,” says Mr. Zgozi. “Despite this global challenge, we haven’t shifted our focus, and
we still have aimed to expand. Once things resume to normality in a year or two, our priority is to build a head office building here in Chipata. That’s one way that we can contribute to the development of our city, and show people what can be done and that they are many ways citizens can contribute to the national development, while also giving our clients an amazing facility when they visit us. Beyond that, we’d love to become Zambia’s most reliable travel and safari planners and build even stronger relationships with international tour operators. We also plan to employ more local people across the country and to become more involved in conservation projects, responsible tourism, and doing more for the less privileged, in one way or another. Last of all, we aim to make Absolute Zambia Safaris a recognized brand, with an amazing reputation and services, while staying true to our key values: valuing relationships, honesty, innovation, passion, knowledge, and flexibility. That’s what the future holds for us.” c
WE SHARE THE ZAMBIAN SAFARI EXPERIENCE
Phone : +260216225015 WhatsApp: +260964410524 info@absolutezambiasafaris.com www.absolutezambiasafaris.com
AN UNFORGETABLE EXPERIENCE
WE ARE SPECIALIST IN TAILOR-MADE AND PRIVATE SAFARIS TRIPS TO ZAMBIA. PROUDLY ASSISTING OUR GUESTS TO DESIGN CUSTOMS MADE SAFARIS THROUGH OUR BIG SAFARIS OPERATORS. ZAMBIA, A COUNTRY WORTH EXPLORING Zambia is a landlocked country in south-central Africa with a population of about 14.7 million people and with 16 major cultural groupings, more than 72 different dialects. Zambia is recognized as one of the most secure and friendliest countries in Africa combined with its perfect and personalized safari experience, make it a unique and memorable holiday for vacationists. One of the famous the 7 Natural Wonders of the World is found in Zambia, the Victoria Falls, and some of Southern Africa’s most beautiful national parks. Which includes include North and South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi and Kafue as well as some lesser-known gems such as Bangweulu wetlands, Liuwa Plains, and Kasanka National parks. The parks give a wide range of different adventure different birds, mammals, plants and reptiles.
SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDES: WALKING SAFARIS Zambia is the home of walking safaris, with Norman Car
having started these over 50 years ago for guests to get closer to the bush and feel, hear, touch as well as seeing it. GAME DRIVES This includes night drives to discover many nocturnal animals whichis one of the best ways to experience the safari. SPECIALISED PHOTOGRAPHY SAFARIS This includes both Professional and learner who are interest in taking amazing pictures of Wildlife and nature in general. CULTURAL TOURISM Annual festivals, Cultural village, local school experiences, City Tours and Heritage sites. ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES Sunrise and sunset boat cruises, Unique Zambezi Canoe safaris, Bungee Jump, Devil Pool, Helicopter Flight (Flight of an Angel).
MAGNIFICENT WATERFALLS Apart from the spectacular Victoria Falls, provide ‘cascade followers’ an adventure into the remote, undeveloped rural areas where a taste of village life can be experienced. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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