19 Dec 2023

The beauty of Chobe Game Lodge lies not only in its serene and pristine setting, but also in its symbolism and duty to conserve natural resources that abound around.

Nestled up in the heart of Chobe National Park on the banks of Chobe River, Chobe Game Lodge offers breath-taking views of the diverse flora and fauna.
The haven has a rich history that spans five decades, renowned for ecotourism ideals, reverence for nature and the incredible team that is central in giving guests an unforgettable experience.  

Chobe Game Lodge’s timeless emblem is sustainability, which resonates well with world travellers searching for a haven that champions rich biodiversity while offering endless adventures.

In its fifty-year existence, the lodge has hosted a long list of high profile guests from Presidents to royalty to television personalities.
Some of its famous guests have included South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, USA’s Bill Clinton, Britain’s Prince Harry, Prince Bernard of The Netherlands, American comedian and TV host Steve Harvey and Game of Throne actor Charles Dance, to name but a few.
Having hosted every sitting president of Botswana, Chobe Game Lodge was recently home away from home to President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi.

During his stay early this month, President Masisi had the opportunity to appreciate the establishment’s initiatives, where he cruised on solar boats and drove an electric powered vehicle.

Dr Masisi commended the lodge for championing sustainable ecotourism.
Unpacking the journey and milestones of Chobe Game Lodge as they celebrated golden jubilee on Thursday, deputy board chairperson of Chobe Holdings and founder of Chobe Game Lodge, Jonathan Gibson shared that the lodge was originally built in 1973.

He said his parents used to camp along Zambezi and eventually owned a home in Serondela village in the Chobe National Park, which stimulated an interest in acquiring Chobe Game Lodge, which was then in the hands of Southern Sun.

Gibson reminisces that after acquiring the property in the 1970s, a dark cloud fell due to the war of liberation fought in what was then Southern Rhodesia (present day Zimbabwe).
With Zimbabwe gaining independence in 1980, things started to look promising and was soon in business.

However, another dark cloud befell the area in the late 1990s, which was the pick of HIV/AIDS pandemic. At one point, the lodge was losing three to four employees annually to the pandemic. However, the situation was reversed when the government of Botswana introduced universal rollout of ARV treatment that saved many lives.
Gibson thanked the lodge employees for their unyielding support over the years even during COVID-19 when there was no revenue generated.  

“Thank you all for building Chobe Game Lodge as you all contributed to its growth together with those who left and started their own tourism and hospitality businesses,” he said
Chobe Game Lodge deputy general manager, Lesego Moiteela recounted the milestones succinctly with the highlight being the achievement of sustainable tourism.

“Chobe Game Lodge is the only lodge using electric powered vehicles and solar boats and we are proud to embody women empowerment being the only lodge not just in Botswana, but the rest of Africa to have a full guide team of women,” he remarked.

Moiteela said the intention was to completely convert the rest of their fleet to electric vehicles in order to stay true to minimising the resort’s carbon footprint.

He said today’s travellers were well informed and aware of their destinations as they inquired if tourism and hospitality facilities conformed to sustainable environment and conservation.
The lodge’s unique selling point, he proclaimed, “The only permanent lodge sitting on the Chobe River frontage and National Park and we are what a tourist is looking for.”

Long serving staff member, Albert Ndereki shared that he had been with the Lodge since 1971 when it was still a bush without any structures when they cleared the place and started building structures until 1973 when it opened.

One thing he highlighted was the fact that natural resources conservation had evolved over the years due to tourism policies advancing and recognizing the importance of natural resources, safeguarding sustainable development.

He thanked the owner of Chobe Game Lodge, Gibson for believing in his employees all these years and opening doors for them to expand their minds to learn about sustainable tourism. ENDS