Mmegi: At what moment in your life did you know and realise that conservation was going to be your life and field of work.
VINCENT: I grew up in Zimbabwe and spent most of my childhood holidays in Hwange National Park. I knew at an early age that I wanted to contribute to the conservation of the country’s wildlife, and the protection of its wilderness areas. I loved the outdoors and spending time in nature, and I became a professional guide in 1980. I then worked throughout Zimbabwe for various safari companies before settling in Victoria Falls in 1984. I began working for Wilderness in 1993 and have never looked back.
Mmegi: Wilderness has a wide footprint stretching from eastern Africa to Southern Africa. What has Wilderness been doing in Botswana to expand its footprint and operations?
VINCENT: Our camps in Botswana have been undergoing some changes and improvements. Some are still in the pipeline of being refurbished. One of our camps, Vumbura still needs to be rebuilt and improved from its current status.
But on an overview from last year spilling into this year, we will be replacing three aircraft for newer models. We are also looking into launching a flight simulator in Maun to train pilots and this will save millions a year for many charter companies because then we can offer more training at a cheaper price.
We are also looking at spending over P70 million in refurbishments of some of our camps.
Mmegi: The tourism industry in Botswana has been struggling to get back to its pre-COVID glory days in terms of attracting traffic. What do you think is the reason for this slump?
VINCENT: There is definitely a slowdown in the number of tourists coming into the country and when I am talking about tourists, I am not talking about guys coming into the country to do some shopping from a neighbouring country.
Numbers are still low and we are still squeezed. To pump some life back into the industry we need to improve air access into tourist destination areas. And the air access must be cheaper and reliable. Air access is an important enabler of the tourism sector and it must be easy to access for all those who want to come into this country.
Imagine what would happen if OR Tambo closes for a whole month? We would be wiped out because of our airline dependence. I am keen to see the aviation space opening up and growing in this country.
Mmegi: While it is a fact that the tourism market is still contracted, there are some camps opening in the country and even Wilderness is seeking to strengthen its operations locally. What push factors allow for such expansions amidst a dwindling market?
VINCENT: While the numbers are low Botswana’s market is still strong, and there is excitement over Botswana especially this year. Bookings are better this year than last year and tourism is in for a decent year. So this renewed optimism about legislative improvements and the bureaucratic problems that impeded tourism will definitely improve this year’s prospects.
Mmegi: Talking about bureaucracy, the tourism sector has bemoaned frustrations in getting licenses renewed and at times even complained about the slow pace at which applications for licenses are granted or denied. What has been your experience with this issue?
VINCENT: Getting a license in this country is slow, long and painful. We need responses to be quicker and faster. We are not saying government should always agree but even if it’s a ‘no’ let that ‘no’ be given quickly so that investors move on and plan for other investments.
You must bear in mind that our business survives on the pace at which ideas turn to fruition and bureaucracy needs to be sped up. If things take a long time unnecessarily, investors will pack up and go
Mmegi: There has been a change in government in Botswana. Have you engaged the new government on these concerns as an industry and what has been the response?
VINCENT: The early engagement signs are incredible. The question we always ask government is whether people are welcome to come and invest or not. Investors need to feel welcome to give them the comfort to spend their money and create more investment opportunities.
We are hopeful that the new government will respond to some of the issues the industry has always complained about.
Mmegi: While the industry has always desired license renewals and extensions of the usual 15-year lease, other critics have condemned such calls and pointed out the need for locals in these areas to gain skills and operate these camps on their own. What’s your take on such views?
VINCENT: We must wonder what the real model for creating wealth for citizens is using tourism. My response is with these 15-year leases when will we build 100-year companies that employ more people and create opportunities for more companies to form? Why should we invest money and run away?
The tourism industry is a long-term game, you don’t invest and get money back tomorrow.
Mmegi: What role can financial institutions in the country do to better support and offer custom made solutions for the tourism industry?
VINCENT: I am advocating for a tourism fund, where you have banks, pension funds contributing capital to invest heavily in the tourism sector. Then the fund can buy stakes in some tourism companies in the country and grow the shareholder value and make great returns.
It can even be listed and Batswana can buy shares in the fund and grow their wealth.
