Kafue National Park (KNP), founded in the 1920s and established in the 1950s by tourism Legend Norman Carr , covers an impressive 22,480 square kilometers, making it Zambia’s oldest and largest.
Along with the surrounding Game Management Areas (GMAs), the national park forms a vast area of 68,000 square kilometers.
It is an essential part of the Greater Kafue Ecosystem, which constitutes a significant portion of the Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Trans-Frontier Conservation Area.
In addition to being ecologically linked to the West Lunga National Park to the North, it also protects a crucial part of the Kafue River catchment, a major source of domestic and industrial water for Lusaka residents.
According to Park Manager Greg Reid, KNP is a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) and an Important Bird Area (IBA).
Mr Reid notes that KNP is a crucial conservation area in Zambia, protecting 16 out of the country’s 24 natural habitats, which translates into 66 percent.
Mr. Reid observes that the park has a staggering diversity of wildlife, including 79 percent of mammals, 67 percent of birds, 48 percent of reptiles, 54 percent of amphibians, and 36 percent of fish.
He emphasizes that KNP is notable for its predator population, which includes approximately 300 lions, 650 leopards, 250 wild dogs, and 100 cheetahs.
Prominent tourism activities in the KNP include game viewing by vehicle and boat, bird watching, boat cruising on the Kafue River, canoeing on the Lunga and Lufupa Rivers, fishing on the Lake Itezhi-Tezhi and walking safaris, which include some trips to the hot springs.
Despite its unique biodiversity and proximity to Victoria Falls (just a one-hour flight or three-hour drive away), KNP receives relatively few visitors.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, lack of good road access has discouraged tourists, made the development of new tourist lodges difficult, increased tourism operational costs, and made general management more difficult.
Realizing the importance of KNP’s location in Zambia’s tourism space and how the park can be a major source of national revenue, the government in July 2022, partnered with African Parks (AP) , a conservation non-profit organization, to manage the park.
In line with its tourism master plan of 2018-2038, the government and Africa Parks, made a 20-year-agreement for the KNP in a commitment to secure the protection and effective management of the park.
According to the government, this new partnership is expected to deliver greater investment in all aspects of KNP’s management, and realize value to biodiversity and socio-economic development.
Since the signing of the agreement, several actions have been taken to put the park on the path to becoming a popular tourist destination and a major revenue generator and job creator in the country.
Zambia Parliamentary Caucus on Environment and Climate Change recently visited KNP to learn what progress has been made since the agreement was signed 18 months ago.
The caucus, led by Itezhi-Tezhi Member of Parliament Twaambo Mutinta, and Bangweulu Member of Parliament Bangweulu Anthony Kasandwe, toured the Park and inspected infrastructure projects in the vicinity.
KNP Manager Greg Reid highlighted progress attained since the agreement, aimed at repositioning the park as a tourist destination.
Mr Reid stated that the 18-month Priority Support Plan, which began when the agreement with the government was signed, was intended to secure the Park, improve infrastructure and the investment environment, and establish a baseline of knowledge.
“A long-term mandate has been secured. Our long-term objectives are national strategic alignment and income diversification,” explains Mr Reid.
He states that one of the goals is to protect the Park’s integrity and resources and that AP is working with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and other NGO partners to rework the governance and management systems of the GMAs.
“As part of the park’s infrastructure development, AP has begun building, rehabilitating, and re-establishing water, power, and communications systems,” says Mr Reid.
He said this applies to both Ngoma and Chunga Training Schools.
“The first phase of the radio system has been completed. Four manager’s houses, staff flats and barracks, three aircraft hangars, and one Law Enforcement Center have been completed” states Mr Reid.
The Park Manager adds that so far 14 vehicles, 2 boats, 2 aircrafts, 2 tractors, 3 tipper trucks, and 1 grader have been purchased as key assets.
To improve park road infrastructure, Mr Reid shares that approximately 2, 020 kilometers of roads have been graded, and bridges repaired and replaced.
Mr. Reid notes that as part of the Park Management and Infrastructure in the 5-Year Horizon, AP will rehabilitate the remaining existing buildings and invest significantly in new buildings.
” We will also restore roads and bridges while investing in critical new roads to improve management and park access. We will also Improve communications by implementing Phase 2 of the radio system and improving internet connectivity in key areas, ” explains Mr. Reid.
In the area of law enforcement, a critical component of the protection of the park, Mr. Reid said uniforms and equipment have been issued and Incentive and Bonus Schemes have been introduced as well as introduction of aircraft and helicopters in law enforcement.
He notes that insufficient manpower, poor training and discipline, old equipment, low morale, and ineffectiveness has negatively impacted the park, resulting in rampant poaching.
Mr Reid points out that AP has significantly increased the recruitment of new officers, with 78 recruited in the first year of 2022, 20 more in the second year, and 50 more to be recruited in the third year.
The Park Manager shares that as a result of improved law enforcement, KNP recorded 262 arrests in 2022, confiscated 671 Snares, 96 Ammunitions, 51 Firearms, and 4,034kgs of meat, 1,152 kilograms of fish as well as 54 poachers’ bicycles.
Mr Reid stated that 27 elephants and four buffalo herds were collared across the landscape to monitor the herds.
He explains that fire controls, such as firebreaks, were implemented to address fire, a major park management challenge, and that late-season wildfires were extinguished.
Mr Reid further shares that AP conservation efforts include a plan to translocate 30 to 60 black rhinos to a 90,000-hectare sanctuary by the year 2025.
Additionally, Mr. Reid said there are plans to augment ungulate populations (mammals with hooves) by bringing in 2,000 wildebeest and 300 zebras from Liuwa Plain National Park.
“This proposal has been presented to the Liuwa Board and provisionally approved for US $1.5 million,” explains Mr Reid.
He said that Internal translocations of buffalo are also planned to restore their populations, which have been reduced by poaching, adding that Kafue Lechwe will also be translocated to Lake Itezhi-Tezhi.
As for commercial and enterprise activities, Reid states that the park currently has 39 facilities run by 24 operators, offering 349 beds and catering to all market segments.
Mr Reid mentioned that there are plans to expand with the identification of over 20 sites for future development, aligned with the future General Management Plan and Commercial Development Plan.
“The major challenges we are facing are unplanned land use in GMAs surrounding KNP; weak governance structures; poor oversight by authorities; unsustainable fisheries,” laments Mr Reid.
Regarding community involvement and outreach, Mr. Reid observes that there will be a thorough community engagement plan put in place over the next five years to cement community relations and partnerships.
Additionally, TNC, a significant contributor, is developing a new governance structure for the GMAs surrounding the park to guarantee efficient management and fair distribution of benefits to communities.
Furthermore, 425 employees are expected to be hired for employment purposes, and a Happy Readers literacy trial will be conducted in the two training schools.
Mr Reid notes that KNP has a strong potential to be self-funding within 10 years but this requires significant investment in the years building up to that.
The Park Manager is confident that AP is poised to deliver some of the national strategic goals of job creation and income diversification through tourism promotion while also protecting the national park’s integrity and heritage.
Southern Province Minister Credo Nanjuwa is ecstatic with the AP for the significant investments made towards improving the Kafue National Park.
The minister explains that the government appreciates African Parks (AP)’s investments in the Kafue National Park.
Mr. Nanjuwa, speaking at the start of a two-day tour of Kafue National Park as a member of the Zambian Parliamentary Caucus on Environment and Climate Change, stated that the government is proud that it was able to reach an agreement with AP.
The minister is hopeful that traditional leaders in Itezhi-Tezhi will not continue to believe that they have not been given enough information about the agreement to fully comprehend, stating that there is a need to close the information gap.
Mr. Nanjuwa is hopeful that the Greater Kafue Landscape Limited will involve the community in the African Parks Project.
Bangweulu Constituency Member of Parliament Anthony Kasandwe, shared that he was pleased with the progress made by AP in the Bangweulu and Liuwa Plain National Parks.
According to him, the number of black lechwes has increased from less than 10,000 to more than 60,000 as a result of AP’s management model.
And Itezhi Tezhi Parliamentarian Twaambo Mutinta, explains that community members want the benefits of the agreement to trickle to the grassroots.
