The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) is moving to strengthen its commercial operations as part of efforts to secure sustainable financing for wildlife conservation.
Director of Commercial Services Nomsa Chitsaka said the authority was finalising a five-year commercial services strategy that seeks to unlock greater revenue from its parks and other assets.
The strategy is currently undergoing internal business review and board approval, with Chitsaka indicating that the document is expected to be published on the ZimParks website before the end of the year.
She said the roadmap would guide the authority in expanding its income streams while ensuring that commercial activities remain aligned with its conservation responsibilities.
“We realise that every sustainable conservation effort requires sustainable financing,” Chitsaka said.
She said ZimParks would focus on maximising the economic potential of its estates and existing assets to generate resources that can be channelled towards wildlife protection and management.
The approach is expected to give conservation operations a stronger financial base, reducing reliance on limited funding sources while creating opportunities for the authority to derive greater value from its tourism estate.
Chitsaka said commercial development would not replace ZimParks’ conservation mandate but would instead provide additional capacity to fulfil it.
“The strategy therefore is focusing on growing our revenue streams, sweating our assets as well as creating the maximum potential in our parks estates,” she said.
The five-year plan is expected to provide a structured framework for balancing business growth with environmental protection.
Chitsaka said the ultimate objective was to ensure that increased commercial sustainability translated into stronger protection of Zimbabwe’s wildlife and natural heritage.
She said a financially resilient ZimParks would be better positioned to preserve the country’s natural resources for future generations while supporting the growth of tourism.
The strategy is therefore expected to become a key instrument in linking revenue generation with the long-term sustainability of Zimbabwe’s conservation sector.
