JULIUS BAUMANN

Transport and Tourism Editor

THE Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) yesterday announced a R400m eco tourism agreement with the Manyeleti Conservation Trust to further develop the 23000ha Manyeleti Game Reserve, which borders the Kruger National Park.

The agreement will see about R350m invested in developing seven lodges with a total 350 beds over the next two years. A further R21m would be spent by the MTPA to improve the reserve’s infrastructure, and R14m to set up a company to provide game drives for the lodges.

“We are very excited by this development as it is the first step towards achieving a R40bn investment in the province’s tourism sector by 2016,” MTPA CEO Charles Ndabeni said.

The reserve is owned by the Manyeleti Conservation Trust, representing land claim beneficiaries who hold the concession for the game reserve.

The MPTA would be responsible for conservation management, while a co-management committee would handle concessions, financial management, commercial development, marketing and infrastructure maintenance.

“The Manyeleti Game Reserve business model defines a new way of addressing the challenges of managing land claim settlements such as this one successfully,” Mr Ndabeni said.

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Source: Business Day