Community Owned and Run: A Case Study of

Santawani Lodge, Ngamiland, Botswana

AWF Working Papers

African Wildlife Foundation

August 2005
 AWF Working Papers - July 2005

Table of Contents

Summary page 2

Introduction page 2

Background page 2

The Sankuyo Community page 3

Santawani Lodge page 4

Wildlife Management Areas page 6

Risks and Threats page 6

Lessons learned page 9

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Cover photo credit: Santawani Lodge (credit:

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 Community Owned and Run: Case Study of Santawani Lodge, Botswana
Community Owned and Run: Case Study of Santawani Lodge, Botswana

Summary

Most lodges on land owned or leased by local communities are sub-leased to established private sector safari
companies. But the community that owns Santawani Lodge, located at the eastern edge of the Okavango
Delta, took the unusual decision to manage and run their lodge themselves. The African Wildlife Foundation
worked closely with the community and provided co-funding and a suite of business support services. Can the
Santawani Lodge business model be replicated elsewhere in Africa and what lessons that can be learned from
this unusual community-based natural resource management enterprise?

Introduction Areas Management Program for Indigenous Resources

(CAMPFIRE) in Zimbabwe, Administrative
Santawani Lodge, situated in Ngamiland district, Management Design for Game Management Areas
Botswana, on the eastern fringes of the world-famous (ADMADE) in Zambia, Natural Resources Management
Okavango Delta, is an unusual example of a community- Project (NRMP) in Botswana and Living in a Finite
based conservation-oriented business. In the past most Environment (LIFE) in Namibia. However, by the late
such enterprises have been leased to established, private 1990s it was becoming increasingly apparent that many
sector operators, often with minimal benefits accruing of the resources being managed under CBNRM
to the community partners. In contrast, Santawani is programmes were transboundary in nature – such as
both owned and managed entirely by and for the benefit wildlife, habitats, river systems and fresh water resources
of the local community. that moved or extended across national boundaries. This
concern led to the establishment, in 2001, of the United
Since the late 1980s, the African Wildlife Foundation States Agency for International Development (USAID)
(AWF) has worked closely with communities living near funded Four Corners Transboundary Natural Resource
national parks and other protected areas. More recently Management Area (TBNRMA) Initiative, covering
an important focus has been on helping such portions of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe
communities develop conservation business enterprises. and encompassing around 220,000 square kilometres
The Foundation believes that in this way wildlife of land, 40% of it made up of protected areas. AWF
conservation can become a commercially viable land was contracted to implement the three-year, US$4
use, providing more space for wildlife at the same time million Four Corners Initiative, which was based on
as improving the livelihoods of local people. With this two of AWF’s key strategic approaches: its African
win-win goal in mind, AWF supported the local Heartlands approach, which promotes landscape level
community to renovate the once derelict Santawani conservation management, and its Conservation
Lodge. Business Venture approach, in which business support
This paper explores the regional, national and local services and funding are provided to local communities
circumstances, institutional arrangements and policies to enable them to establish and run viable conservation-
that enabled Santawani Lodge to re-open under local based enterprises. The latter are envisioned as a means
management. It goes on to consider the threats and risks of providing incentives for communities to engage in
that may affect the long-term success of the Lodge, before better natural resource management. Santawani Lodge
teasing out lessons learned that might usefully be was one of ten Community Business Ventures supported
applied in the development of similar wildlife-tourism by AWF as part of Four Corners Initiative, selected on
based enterprises in other parts of Africa. the basis of their good prospects for commercial success
and of making positive impacts on livelihoods and
Background conservation goals.

Since the 1980s there has been considerable interest In Botswana in the early 1980s, the Government became
and investment in community based natural resource increasingly concerned by the reduction in populations
management (CBNRM) programmes in various of many species of wildlife in the country. More recent
countries in southern Africa, including the Communal data for the northern system, centred on Okavango,

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 Community Owned and Run: Case Study of Santawani Lodge, Botswana

demonstrated further pronounced declines of buffalo Ngamiland, the district in which Santawani Lodge is
and zebra by 1994, although during the same period situated. Prior to this outbreak, Botswana had been free
elephant and lechwe numbers increased significantly. of the disease for the previous 50 years. After various
Many blame the decline in most species of wildlife in approaches to containing and controlling the disease
Botswana on the game-proof fences erected throughout failed, the Government took the decision to destroy all
the country to protect the countries large beef export cattle in the district. In all over 300,000 cattle were
trade to the EU. This trade is predicated on the destroyed and most of their owners opted to receive
demonstrable absence of various diseases in the export compensation in cash rather than to be restocked with
zone, especially foot and mouth disease which is endemic disease-free animals. The result was that many
in the country’s wild buffalo. While protecting households in Ngamiland ceased keeping cattle, which
Botswana’s valuable beef herds from diseases associated had significant implications for their livelihoods and
with wildlife, the fences also curtail the traditional nutritional security. The erection of a buffalo fence in
migration of many species of wildlife and their access the district in 1996, and the subsequent banning of
to key resources. Many wild animals are also directly cattle keeping in areas designated for wildlife to the north
killed when they become entangled in the fences. of the fence, further restricted cattle rearing as a
livelihood option.
In 1992, the Government introduced the Wildlife
Conservation and National Parks Act, which included The Sankuyo Community
a policy of moving control of wildlife and other natural The community that lives at Sankuyo village is, in the
resources away from government, towards giving main, ethnically Bayei although other minority groups
communities living in or adjacent to wildlife areas a are also represented. The Bayei (or BaYei), who are Bantu
greater role in their management. As a result of this speakers, migrated to the Okavango Delta in around
policy change several previously undeveloped areas 1750 to escape tribal aggression from the Lozi in present
surrounding the Okavango Delta were designated as day Zambia. They were primarily riverine people -
‘community areas’ and communities within them were credited with introducing a traditional dug-out canoe,
encouraged to apply to the local tribal Land Board to the makaroo, to the Delta - who at that time relied on
lease blocks of land. The communities would then be fishing, agriculture and, to a lesser extent, livestock for
able to exploit their land allocations, for example by their livelihoods.
selling the associated hunting quotas to a licensed
hunting company or entering into joint venture Today Sankuyo village, situated at the extreme eastern
partnerships with commercial operators on wildlife fringe of the Okavango Delta some 80 km from the
tourism enterprises. town of Maun and close to Moremi Wildlife Reserve,
is home to around 400 people. In addition to several
Tourism is the second highest foreign exchange earner CBNRM projects detailed below, the residents also now
in Botswana. The tourism policy in Botswana targets rely for their livelihoods on formal employment,
the ‘low volume-high value’ end of the market with a especially in tourist facilities, basket making, agriculture
view to maximising income from a minimum number and small livestock. Previously cattle keeping was of
of visitors. This policy is designed to minimise the threat major importance but this is now banned under zoning
to the country’s fragile ecosystems and increase value and disease-control regulations as the village lies to the
by imposing scarcity of supply. The policy is north of the Southern Buffalo Fence, erected to separate
implemented through high daily entrance charges for buffalo and other wildlife from cattle herds to the south.
national parks (approximately US$33 per person per Growing crops in this area is made difficult due to the
day) and imposing an upper limit of 24 beds in all lodges threat of crop-raiding elephants.
in game reserves or national parks. The result of this
policy is that accommodation in protected areas is fully In the early 1990s, the Sankuyo community was selected
booked year round, which provides an opportunity for for support by a USAID-funded CBNRM programme.
community-based tourism ventures outside these areas. The community was initially facilitated to carryout a
participatory process that resulted in the drafting of a
An outbreak of the cattle disease contagious bovine deed of trust – laying the foundation for the
plueropleumonia (CBPP, also known as cattle lung establishment of the Sankuyo Tshwarangano
disease) in February 1995 had a profound impact on Management Trust (STMT) in 1995 – and in the

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 Community Owned and Run: Case Study of Santawani Lodge, Botswana

development of a strategic plan and 5-year management was also changed at this time, and it was now designated
plan. The first objectives of the Trust were to obtain a as a photographic safari area.
concession of land from the Tawana Land Board and to
establish community-based enterprises. In 1996, the The two land blocks, NG 33 and 34, are situated on
Trust was awarded the concession for some 8,600 the wildlife corridor between Moreni Game Reserve and
hectares of land adjacent to the village, known as NG34 Chobe National Park. The area was considered to be a
– only the second community to be awarded such a prime candidate for developing as a conservation-
concession. Under the terms of the 15-year lease from oriented business venture because of its significant
the Land Board, the area was sub-leased and its hunting conservation value. Developing a successful conservation
quota sold to commercial safari and hunting operators, business in the area offered the potential for
which provided the Trust with a source of income. conservation gains including: securing the movement
Between March 1996 and December 1998, direct patterns of elephants and other species; conserving the
benefits to the community derived from these keystone species – the elephant; securing not only the
arrangements netted around US$600,000 – equivalent corridor but also associated natural resources and
to around US$2,700 per year for every household in habitats; checking subsistence poaching of plains game
the Sankuyo community. and occasional poaching of large herbivores, such as
buffaloes; increasing knowledge of the key biological
In 1996, a Botswanan NGO, the People and Nature resources; and increasing the skills, changing the attitude
Trust, started working with STMT and facilitated a new and increasing the communities stake in regard to
strategic planning process. This led to the establishment sustainable and profitable management of the area’s
of four community-based economic initiatives, for natural resources.
which STMT provided 50% of the start-up capital, the
remainder coming from a grant. The enterprises were Santawani Lodge
vegetable gardens, grass and reed harvesting and the In view of their previous experience of managing their
development of two tourist facilities. The latter consisted own tourist enterprises and, in many cases, of working
of Shandreka and Kaziikini. Shandreka is a cultural in the tourist sector in Botswana, the community took
village where visitors can experience traditional dancing, the unusual decision to manage and run the lodge
basket making, hunting with traps and bow and arrows, themselves rather than simply lease it out to an
and have a consultation with a fortune-telling traditional established safari operator. So, on being allocated NG33
healer. Kaziikini is a campsite which also has four and the lodge, STMT approached AWF for support. A
rondavels, a bar and restaurant, targeted at self-drive formal Memorandum of Understanding was entered
tourists and mobile safari operators. Both these facilities into by the two parties in July 2003, which covered the
were managed and run entirely by the Sankuyo financing of the renovation and refurbishment of the
community through the STMT. In the case of the lodge together with marketing the business and building
campsite, the income was allocated as follows: after the capacity of the community. Under the agreement
deduction of operating expenses, 20% of the gross profit AWF, as the implementer of the USAID-funded Four
was retained in a capital reinvestment fund controlled Corners Initiative, provided a grant of US$60,000
by STMT. The balance was divided in two, with one
portion being split equally amongst the 15 community Figure 1: Photo of new chalets at Santawani
members who ran the facility and the other portion
going to STMT. The latter was spent on projects that
would benefit the wider Sankuyo community, for
example building a school and clinic, buying a maize
grinder and sinking a borehole.

In 2001, STMT was awarded the concession to an

additional, adjoining, smaller block of land, NG33. This
was a former hunting block that used to be leased by a
commercial safari hunting operator. The allocation
included a run-down safari lodge, previously used to
accommodate hunting clients. The land use of NG33

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 Community Owned and Run: Case Study of Santawani Lodge, Botswana

chalets costing US$56 per night on a self-catering basis.

towards the total cost of phase one reconstruction. This
Full-time employment has been created for 12
amounted to US$110,000, with STMT providing the
community members, eight of whom are women, who
balance of US$50,000 from their capital reinvestment
will enjoy a salary plus a profit-related bonus. It is
fund. An additional sum of around US$20,000 was
envisaged that the lodge will be expanded in a second
provided as a grant from the Four Corners Initiative to
phase of reconstruction which will see the
cover items such as fees for a quantity surveyor and
accommodation increase to 12 chalets supporting the
environmental impact assessment, and capacity building
employment of 23 community members. The area has
for community members to strengthen their business
two tourist seasons, with the peak season running from
planning and management skills. Prior to reopening,
March to July and the low season running from August
twenty community members who would eventually run
to February.
the lodge, together with the existing staff from the already
To strengthen the marketing of the
Figure 2: Locational Map of Santawani Lodge lodge, AWF assisted STMT to train a
marketing officer, also a member of the
Sankuyo community, based in a
strategically positioned office near to
Maun airport. The business plan
forecast that the lodge would operate
at 40% occupancy in its first year of
operation, increasing to 70% by year
three. In fact in the months after the
official opening in June 2004
occupancy was better than anticipated
at 60%. The forecast for first year net
profits, after tax, of US$65,000 looked
set to be bettered.

With the eventual expansion of the

lodge under phase two to 12 chalets,
the projected net profit is predicted to
grow to close to $110,000 per year.
Community benefits are in fact higher
and could amount to more than
US$160,000 a year – worth, on
average, around $2,000 per household
per year (Botswana is a middle-income
country with a per capita GDP of US$
9,200, largely due to the export of
diamonds, tourism and beef 1). This
established Kaziikini Campsite, were trained in various
includes allowance for some members of the community
aspects of lodge and campsite management
enjoying salaries and bonuses, while the STMT will
receive a management fee equivalent to 10% of the gross
The lodge, situated near the southern gate to Moremi profit and also receive the full net profit. The latter two
Game Reserve (see figure 2), reopened under community amounts will be spent on community-level benefits. To
management in June 2004 at a ceremony attended by date these have included building environmentally-
the Assistant Minister for Labour and Home Affairs. friendly toilets for all households, building a social
Under phase one, six two-bedded chalets have been centre, sponsoring student from the village for tourism-
restored together with a reception area. Local materials related courses and supporting HIV/Aids orphans.
such as lava rock, grass thatch and timber have been Botswana has amongst the highest HIV/Aids prevalence
extensively used in the renovation. Pricing is initially rates in the world; an estimated 37.3% of the population
pitched slightly below the industry standard with is HIV-positive, life expectancy has dropped in recent

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 Community Owned and Run: Case Study of Santawani Lodge, Botswana

years from 72 to less than 34 years and there is estimated blamed on the veterinary cordon fences that criss-cross
to be close to 80,000 Aids orphans in a total population the country, with one – the Southern Buffalo Fence
of 1.7 million (more than one orphan for every 22 (designed to keep potentially foot and mouth infected
people). In recognition of this, STMT has also buffalo from coming into contact with cattle in the
contributed US$11,000 to tackling HIV/Aids in their country’s beef export zone) – passing just to the south
local area. of the land concessions awarded to the Sankuyo
community. Critics of the fences point out that many
The lodge complements STMT’s other two community were erected without prior environmental, social or
managed tourist enterprises, the cultural village and economic impact assessments – although this is now
campsite, as well as the hunting camp and two being done. Government policy in Botswana appears
photographic camps operated by private sector partners to be somewhat contradictory with policies and
on land sub-leased from the Trust. measures, such as the game-proof fences, put in place to
facilitate and protect the beef export trade to the EU,
Wildlife Management Areas - NG 33 and 34 apparently adversely affecting the country’s more
Sankoyo village is situated in a parcel of land known as valuable international tourism business. Recognising
NG 34. In addition, this 8,600 hectare block of land is these potential conflicts of interest, an inter-ministerial
the site of Shandareka Cultural Village and Kaziikini committee on fences has been formed to address these
Campsite, both run by STMT, a photographic lodge, issues but critics suggest that to date no mitigating action
Starlings Camp, and a hunting safari lodge, the latter has been taken to relieve or reverse critical impacts on
two run by STMT’s joint venture partners. Although wildlife. These are said to include: disruption of seasonal
there are no settlements in NG33, this block is the site movement of wildlife; death of animals due to
of Santawani Lodge and also a camp for a wild dog entanglement; group fragmentation and isolation; denial
research project. of access to water and seasonal habitats; improved access
NG 33 and 34 lies to the extreme eastern end of the for poachers due to construction of service roads;
Okovango Delta. The terrain includes dryland and old increased disturbance of wildlife by vehicles;
floodplain, mostly mixed scrub with some broken concentration of animals and resultant destruction of
mopane woodland (Colophospermum mopane). There are habitat; and direct habitat loss from fence construction.
no wetland areas and flooding, though once common, Significantly, a recent independent report on the
now occurs less frequently. The formerly flooded areas Botswana beef export has suggested that the ‘industry
together with relic riverine woodlands are undergoing is in crisis... A trade that was once profitable is now
rapid change, with encroachment of acacia on the flood marginal.’2 It goes on to point out that the Botswana
plains and change in species composition in the riverine Meat Commission has run at a loss in all but one year
woodland. The area has a high density of large mammals since 1998/99, suggesting that this is due to decreasing
including elephants, zebra, giraffe, a wide range of prices for beef exports, increasing costs and decreasing
antelopes including sable and red lechwe, leopards and efficiency of production.
lions. Elephants and zebra utilise the area as a corridor
between Moreni Game Reserve and Chobe National The unusual feature of the Santawani Lodge model is
Park. Threatened species occurring in the area include that it is owned, managed and run entirely by the local
the giant bullfrog, lappet-faced vulture and African wild community – an arrangement said to be is viewed with
dogs. Being outside of protected areas and therefore not scepticism in many quarters. Most tourist facilities in
subject to their regulations, tourists can enjoy both day Botswana are managed by established safari companies
and night game drives, offering them the opportunity and the industry is second only to diamonds in the
to view seldom seen nocturnal species such as aardvarks, magnitude of its contribution to the GDP. However,
serval cats and leopards, as well as trekking on foot. much of the industries’ earnings are lost to the country
through payments to external agents and because many
Risks and Threats large tourism companies are foreign-owned. In addition,
The long-term viability of enterprises based on wildlife even though local communities have been awarded land
tourism is obviously dependent on the continuing concessions, in the past these have mostly been sub-
presence of large numbers of wild animals, in this case leased to commercial safari and hunting operators who
elephants, plains game and predators. Significant have enjoyed the majority of the benefits.
declines in the country’s wildlife populations have been

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 Community Owned and Run: Case Study of Santawani Lodge, Botswana

The true test of the success of the Santwani model will

With Botswana’s focus on the ‘low volume –high value’ be how well the lodge performs in the coming years; is
segment of the global tourist market, expectations of it a successful, profitable, viable business? Early
clients is likely to be high and the level of management indications were, however, encouraging with occupancy
of tourist facilities needs to be equally high to match levels and profitability exceeding that forecast in the
this. The risk is that community management may fall business plan. An additional factor operating in the
short of the required standard, with the risk perhaps community’s favour is that the lodge is mainly targeting
being higher as external project-based support, such as ‘medium-level’ self-drive tourists from South Africa, who
provided by AWF, is eventually wound-down or are perhaps less demanding than high-end visitors from
removed. Although the community appears to be overseas.
confident of its capabilities in this area, citing their
experience in managing other community owned tourist Effective marketing of the lodge is a prerequisite for
facilities and considerable experience of the broader success; without adequate marketing the lodge will
hospitality industry through working in other lodges inevitably fail, as have many previous community
and hotels in the Okavango area, external assessments development projects in Africa. The success rate for small
have been less positive. At the outset, the People and business start-ups in the tourism sector in Africa is as
Nature Trust highlighted lack of management capacity low as one in eight. In recognition of this, AWF has
within the community as a serious constraint. To address provided support in this important area. Initially, in
this weakness, AWF provided considerable investment 2003, AWF assisted the community with logistics for a
in training to equip community members with the booking office in Maun, the nearest main town and
necessary management and marketing skills and assigned hub for tourism in northern Botswana, located some
an experienced enterprise specialist to the project under 80 kilometres from the lodge. The booking office was
the overall direction of the Conservation Services Centre moved in 2004 to a more strategic location, near to the
in AWF’s office at Kasane. Arrangements have been made airport in Maun, with a view to capturing more clientele.
for AWF to continue providing business support services Help was also provided to identify a suitable community
beyond the lifetime of the Four Corners Initiative. member and train him to serve as the lodge’s marketing
However, the proceedings of the Fourth National officer. However the marketing officer, Dux Mareja,
CBNRM Forum meeting, held in in Gaborone, reports that marketing is still a challenge as most tourists
Botswana in June 2003, states that: ‘CBNRM in arriving at the airport already have their itineraries
Botswana is characterised more by failures than successes’ booked. Marketing efforts are therefore now targeting
and goes on to suggest reasons for the failures: ‘The self-drive tourists from South Africa coming to visit
concept of community managed enterprise projects is nearby Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park.
questionable; capacity building support (time and In addition, AWF has partnered with the Regional
resources) is underestimated; programme scope and Tourism Association of Southern Africa (RETOSA),
coverage have been over-ambitious and community which markets tourist destinations within the Southern
“ownership” of projects is insufficient. Furthermore, Africa Development Community (SADC). Further
business advisory services have been inadequate. Thus afield, AWF has assisted with marketing the lodge in
support for project identification, formulation and USA, as well as at South Africa’s premier tourist fair
implementation have been inadequate. Also Local and the African Tourism Association conference held
Government structures (including TAC, District in Lusaka, Zambia in 2003. Within the USA, AWF
Councils & traditional authorities) were largely ignored/ marketing personnel in the Washington office are
bypassed/ sidelined.’ And, further challenging the piloting a marketing approach which targets clients who
validity of community managed business it states: ‘The favour supporting tourist destinations that reinvest
newly proposed strategy is to ensure viability of business- profits directly into poverty reduction and conservation.
related projects by shifting emphasis away from A useful advantage enjoyed by the lodge is the fact that
approach that CBOs should become entrepreneurs it is already well known by many tourists who previously
towards an approach where CBOs create an stayed there when it was run by the private sector.
environment that encourages entrepreneurs to invest Currently the lodge has to contend with relatively little
with confidence by providing infrastructure, security of competition – there are no other facilities offering
tenure and a regulatory framework’. accommodation to tourist in the immediate vicinity,
except for STMT’s own Kaziikini Campsite, which

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 Community Owned and Run: Case Study of Santawani Lodge, Botswana

targets a different market segment. However, there are joint venture partners. An unintended consequence,
other options for tourists a little further afield and new however, has been that this system has served to
facilities may open over time, requiring the lodge to encourage extortion and bribery. In relation to STMT,
remain competitive on price and service and to continue controversy has arisen where the joint venture partners
to mount an effective on-going marketing campaign. selected by the Trust management have not been the
ones who tendered the highest sub-lease payments,
Intra-community conflict is a major area of risk for any raising unanswered questions about how and why the
community-based enterprise. Inevitably not all joint venture partners were chosen.
community members will enjoy the same level of
benefits and this can result in dissatisfaction and Although community level benefits are undoubtedly
jealousy. In the case of Santawani Lodge, some members valued by residents of Sankuyo, experience elsewhere
enjoy private benefits from salaries and profit-related has shown that household and individual benefits, such
bonuses whilst others enjoy only community level as direct employment, are more highly valued.
benefits. Critical in this regard is how transparent and Community level benefits, such as schools and clinics,
open the staff recruitment process is: are the community do not provide people with their daily needs. In
members selected for direct employment in the lodge Sankuyo, where cattle rearing, formerly an important
those with the best qualifications, experience and skills? component of livelihoods, is now banned under
In the case of community level benefits, are these Botswana’s veterinary zoning regulations, employment
distributed in a fair and transparent manner? Some is likely to be even more important. Although Santawani
benefits have been provided to all households, such as Lodge is only creating 12 full-time jobs in phase one,
provision of environmentally friendly toilets, others are eventually this is anticipated to increase to 23 as phase
accessible to the entire community, such as the school two comes on stream. In total the Trust’s conservation
and clinic, but others are more selective, such as based enterprises directly employ around 70 people,
sponsorship for tourism related training courses. The including 40 women. The total population of Sankuyo
main factor behind all these issues is the governance of is around 400 and on average in Botswana family size is
STMT; how democratic is the selection of the various 4.85 people. So, in Sankuyo there is likely to be around
Trust management committees, how responsive are the 80 households supported by 70 full-time jobs in the
committees to the opinions and needs of the ordinary conservation based enterprises owned and managed by
members, and crucially, how transparent, open and the Trust. However, the salaries, even including profit-
honest is the financial reporting – overall is the Trust related bonuses, appear to be very low; at the lodge on
accountable and responsive to its membership. In the average these are around US$70 per month. This is low
past there have been problems with the governance of by African standards but even lower when related to
the Trust. The performance of the first representative Botswana’s per capita GDP of US$9,200.
committee did not satisfy all community members and
there were reportedly allegations of theft and corruption. The justification for investing public money in the
However, encouragingly the members were able to elect Santawani Lodge project was the promise of combining
a new committee. poverty alleviation with achieving conser vation
objectives. The conservation goals included securing the
There has also been controversy surrounding the migration corridor between the two nearby protected
selection of the Trust’s joint venture partners and in areas, conserving elephants and controlling poaching.
this regard the institutional arrangements for sub-leasing It was envisaged that the conservation goals would be
concessions to commercial partners brings it own achieved by providing tangible incentives for the local
problems. The communities are awarded land community to engage in sustainable natural resource
concessions by the Land Board on the basis of 15-year management practices, for example by securing critical
leases. Where these are sub-leased, for example to land in the migration corridor and through the
licensed safari hunting operators, this is done on the implementation of anti-poaching measures. In this way
basis of a one year probationary period followed by it was anticipated, in the words of the original project
periods covered by sub-leases for consecutive periods of document, that the benefits would ‘increase human
one, three, five and a further five years, respectively. This tolerance to key species of wildlife such as elephants,
arrangement is designed to protect the communities baboons, giraffe, buffaloes, and zebra’.
from mismanagement, corruption or maltreatment,
giving them ample opportunity to opt to change their

8 AWF Working Papers

July 2005
 Community Owned and Run: Case Study of Santawani Lodge, Botswana

To fund specific conservation activities it is intended allocations then little or no benefits will accrue. In this
that 5% of the gross operating profit from the lodge regard the Santawani Lodge project and the Sankuyo
will be ploughed back into activities such as provision community possess a number of qualities and features
of more waterholes, reforestation and others as that can perhaps be considered as essential, or at least
determined by the area-wide conservation plan for highly desirable, for the success of similar community
Sankuyo. There are two types of risk associated with managed project. These include: the product offered
this approach. Firstly, funds intended for the satisfies consumer requirements and meets a real and
conservation fee may be channelled to other purposes, growing demand; established institutional capacity in
such as providing individual or community level the form of STDT, which has been in existence for 10
benefits. Secondly, activities to be supported by the fund years; prior experience of managing community owned
require careful evaluation and vetting. The enterprises, specifically those in the tourism sector;
Environmental Impact Assessment Report for Santawani experience within the community of working in other
Lodge, commissioned by the Four Corners Initiative, lodges and hotels within the Okavango region and in
highlights the possible adverse affects of providing Santawani Lodge when it was under private sector
artificial water holes in the area. It points out that management; existence of complementary tourism
providing water points in hitherto waterless areas tends infrastructure such as airstrips and tour vehicles;
to attract water dependent species such as impala and availability of very significant community owned savings
wildebeest, which can modify the habitat to the (US$50,000 derived from sales of the community’s
detriment of rarer species such as sable antelope. None- hunting quota) allowing the community to match
the-less provision of water holes is amongst the proposed donor investment; low density population level and
‘conservation’ activities. relatively small number of beneficiaries; located close-
by a world famous wildlife tourism attractions
Lessons Learned (Okavango Delta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site)
For the Santawani Lodge project to be a success, and also within easy reach of the regional tourism hub
justifying the investment of public money, it needs to at Maun; residual goodwill resulting from 25 years
meet both poverty alleviation and conser vation operation under the previous lodge operators; access to
objectives. In fact, in the long-term both are intimately business advisory services and training through the Four
connected – if the wildlife resource diminishes the raison Corners Initiative and AWF’S Conservation Services
d’être for the lodge will be lost. It is too soon to judge Centre in Kasane, Botswana; strong incentive to engage
whether the project has been successful in terms of these in wildlife-based enterprises due to being located within
two objectives. Early indications are that the community a newly created cattle-free zone; and an enabling and
lodge is operating successfully and that benefits have supportive policy and institutional environment. In
been distributed widely in the community but neither addition Santawani Lodge complements the
detailed financial information nor feedback from community’s other conservation based enterprises.
community members is yet available. One area of
potentials concern is that there appears to be no formal (Endnotes)
agreement committing the community to abide by the
proposal to channel 5% of gross profits to conservation 1
Although Botswana has a relatively high per capita
activities. A lesson for future projects is that the GDP – almost 80 times that of the poorest African
conservation logic of the enterprise should be an explicit countries – wealth distribution in the country is very
part of the formal financing agreement between the skewed: 47% of the population live below the
donor and beneficiary community. poverty line and unemployment is 23.8%. Source:
CIA, The World Factbook, 2005.
The business model implemented for the Santawani 2
C. Stevens and J. Kennan (2005) Botswana Beef
Lodge is unusual in that the community opted to manage Exports and Trade Policy. Institute of Development
and run the facility themselves rather than following Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
the more usual route of sub-leasing to established
commercial operators. This model has the advantage of
channelling far more of the benefits to community
members but also has considerably greater risk attached.
Unless the community can effectively market, manage
and maintain the lodge and the associated land

9 AWF Working Papers

July 2005
This Pub-
This Pub- The project work in the Four Corners Heartland was
lication
lication
is funded supported by
is funded
by the
by the
Nether-
Nether-
lands
lands
Ministry
Ministry
of For-
of For-
eign Af-
eign Af-
fairs/Di-
fairs/Di-
rectorate
rectorate
General
General
for Inter-
for Inter-
national This Publication is funded by the Netherlands
national
Coopera- Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Directorate General
for International Cooperation (DGIS).
Coopera-
tion
tion
(DGIS).
(DGIS).

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© 2005 African Wildlife Foundation

This document was produced by AWF’s Program team
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