The Kavango Zambezi Trans Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) has a dual economy. Tourism
– the most lucrative economic activity that the area’s conservation status allows – attracts a secure, if
seasonal, income. Meanwhile, many of the almost three million inhabitants in the area live in poverty,
engaging in the unsustainable use of natural resources to survive. There is an opportunity to incorporate this population into the tourism value chain by encouraging the tourism industry to source suitable agricultural products from suppliers within KAZA rather than importing them from South Africa or beyond the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as is often the case. This would benefit the informal economy, the tourism industry and the natural environment. The success of such a shift depends on three key factors: identifying, developing and supporting suitable farming enterprises within the region; motivating tourism operators to buy local produce by reducing the risks involved in trading with community suppliers; and encouraging a regulatory environment that supports cross-border trade of produce farmed within the five member states, including KAZA itself.
