Responsible Tourism

Responsible Tourism

Leading the way in social and environmental responsibility in Botswana

Being the only permanent property inside Chobe National Park brings with it great responsibility, and one that we take extremely seriously. We strive to set standards of environmental management and pioneer community initiatives for others to follow.

In 2012 Chobe Game Lodge was among the first 10 properties to be awarded the highest Ecotourism level in the country by the Botswana Tourism Organisation, recognising our ongoing commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

In 2014 our pioneering work led to the launch of the first electric-powered safaris in Botswana through the most advanced technology for electric-powered boats and vehicles in the African tourism industry.

Equally important to tourism development in Botswana is creating opportunities for local communities to benefit from the tourism industry.

With this in mind, we are leading the way though youth development programmes, female empowerment initiatives, staff profit-share schemes and other community-focused projects.

We are extremely proud of what we have achieved, and we believe this pride to be evident through our incredible staff. We continue to work towards continued improvement, and we can’t wait to meet you here in Chobe and show you first-hand what we stand for.

Environmental and Community Projects

The Community

The community provides financial contributions to over 20 different initiatives in and around the Chobe district youth centre and the Turning Heads Beauty Salon.

Grey water recycling

Approximately 60,000 litres of grey water are processed safely every day through the large above ground water treatment plant located at the lodge. The grey water is used as part of the irrigation water system to create the lush green surrounding enjoyed by our guests at Chobe Game Lodge.

Recycling

Approximately 95% of Chobe Game Lodge's waste is sorted and recycled through a variety of methods including glass crushing, for manufacturing bricks on site; tin crushing, for easy transportation to the nearby recycling depot; and crushing of plastic bottles which are returned to the supplier for recycling.

Boardwalk & deck

The 250+ meter Chobe boardwalk and deck is built from recycled timber-plastic decking and the poles sourced from a sustainable forestry operation. The decking is maintenance free, removing the need for harsh cleaning chemicals which would otherwise end up polluting the Chobe River system.

Empowering women

More than 65% of all the staff members at Chobe Game Lodge are women. This includes our all-female team of professionally qualified guides – a successful initiative aimed at increasing the number of qualified female guides within the Botswana guiding fraternity.

Profit share scheme

To further assist with financial growth, every member of the lodge staff receives an annual share dividend at the end of every financial year, just like all our shareholders. This profit scheme not only provides additional income but also creates a sense of ownership among our staff as the scheme is based on financial performance.

Staff wellness

Special care is taken to ensure that all members of staff have the mental and physical support they need. Every Wednesday there is a volunteer staff counsellor available at the lodge to assist with personal growth and development. For medical assistance, the company doctor visits monthly for consultations with the staff.

Youth development programme

Since 2006 our specialised youth training program has been educating and training youths within the local community to help them improve their skills and further their careers in the tourism industry. To date the lodge has trained just under 200 youths of which fifty-five have been permanently employed at Chobe Game Lodge.

ELECTRIC POWERED
ECO-SAFARIS

In November 2014 ministers, press and industry colleagues from around the world gathered on the banks of the Chobe River for the launch of the first electric game-drive vehicle and electric-powered safari boat in Africa.

The technology was still in its infancy and the conversion from diesel to electric a costly exercise – but we at Chobe Game Lodge realised that someone in the industry needed to take the lead. The Chobe National Park is an untouched and highly sensitive natural area that needs to be protected and, besides the benefits to the environment of clean, quiet safaris, they make for a far more enjoyable experience in the wilderness for our guests.

Fast forward to early 2017 and the Chobe Game Lodge electric safari fleet made up the majority of safaris. We now have four electric-powered safari boats (three of which are fully solar powered) and four electric vehicles.

The guest feedback on the experience is phenomenal and it is exciting to see and hear conversations and interest from new safari operators around Africa.

From the start of our our electric fleet conversion project we have been closely monitoring the vehicles and boats to understand the impacts of the fleet on both our operation costs and the reduction of carbon emissions. Below are some interesting figures from our latest report.

Electric Cars

53,860 km
Total number of kilometres driven by the four electric vehicles.

9,617 l
Total litres of diesel saved using the four vehicles.

25,296 kg
Estimated CO2 emissions saved.

Electric Boats

2,556 hours
The total number of hours done by all three electric boats.

5,495 l
Total number of litres of petrol saved.

12,749 kg
Estimated CO2 emissions saved.