Trans-Frontier Arrives To Market Brand

ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer | Monday June 22, 2009 00:00

The Brand, Boundless Southern Africa, is a consolidated brand that was developed by Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe to promote TFCA as a premier tourist and investment destination to tourists around the world. The project was initiated as a result of nine South African Development Cooperation (SADC) ministers of tourism endorsing a strategy to ensure that the region benefits from the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The project is geared towards marketing tourist experiences within ecosystems and not in terms of political and geographical boundaries. It unites Southern African nations as viable and worthy destinations that will boost economic growth in the region. Botswana is involved through the Kgalagadi Trans-frontier Park, Kavango-Zambezi and Limpopo-Shashe Trans-frontier Conservation Areas.

The participating countries, according to the Ministry of Environment Wildlife and Tourism committed to pay P812,500 towards the investment and infrastructural programme of the TFCA 2010 strategy.

Botswana, on the other hand, has planned to pay this amount in the financial year 2009/10, the ministry says.

The project achievements include the launch of the Boundless South Africa branch at 'Indaba 2008', production of an investment catalogue on opportunities in the region and the investor conference of October 2008. A total of 40 projects were identified in the region.

The ongoing brand marketing expedition follows a route of about 10,000 kilometres covering all the nine countries, seven TFCAs and 30 National Parks and Nature Reserves.

All the three TFCAs of Botswana are on the route.

Various events that demonstrate collaboration at political level, richness of nature and cultural diversity through the people of Southern Africa are planned to occur en route.

The highlight of the expedition will be a presidential event for TFCA head of states in Kasane at the end of June and the visitors will leave Botswana on August 1, for Namibia.

The project encompasses showcasing seven conservation areas; Richterveld Frontier Park between South Africa and Mozambique, Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area between Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park between South Africa and Botswana, Limpopo/Shashe TFCA between South Africa and Botswana, Lubombo TFCA and Maloti Drakensberg between Lesoth and South Africa.

The TFCAs offer the best in the abundant beauty and diversity of the region.