Proper biodiversity conservation ensures that ecosystems goods and services are available to mankind. These include water, fuel, natural resources for creating housing, household goods and clothing, food and traditional medicines.
Biodiversity conservation also provides the attraction of protected natural areas that draw tourists not only locally but from all over the world. Most tourists to South Africa are drawn by the allure of the game reserves - but they also pay for accommodation and service en route. In this way the effect of our game reserves is spread throughout the country.
Eco - Tourism
Ezemvelo manages one of the largest eco-tourism operations in South Africa. We offer 2 500 beds per night in a wide range of different accommodation types, and we offer camping accommodation to over 10 000 people per night.
Our overnight visitor facilities range from a cave in the Maloti-Drakensberg Park through open campsites, self catering rondavels, chalets, safari tents, to cottages and luxury lodges. Certain of the larger resorts, Didima, Giant's Castle and Hilltop in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and Ntshondwe in Ithala Game Reserve, also offer a restaurant. This diversity offers something to suit all pockets.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife offers many wonderful experiences for its visitors, these include guided walks, overnight Wilderness Trails in Imfolozi, access to ancient San rock-art, close-up encounters with crocodiles at the St Lucia Crocodile Centre, peace and solitude in the Drakensberg, unparalleled scenery and vistas and superb game viewing from the comfort of your own car or in a guided open vehicle tour.
Partnerships
Dedicated Community Conservation Officers and their staff work amongst rural communities, assisting and teaching good biodiversity conservation practice and a lot more. A levy on each tourist paying to enter a protected area provides funding for community projects, which are financed through the Community Levy Fund.
An exciting new initiative is the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Biodiversity Stewardship programme in which we enter into partnerships with private landowners in order to protect valuable biodiversity assets that occur on that private land.
Another active partnership programme is the WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion Project which seeks to spread the endangered black rhino to selected groupings of appropriate private land in KZN. The various protected areas in the KZN parks system are well worth a visit and it is seemly to keep in mind the hidden benefits of maintaining these parks for the benefit of the present and future generations.