Elephant Viewing, Honey Production and Joint-Venture Tourism at Ndzou Camp, Chimanimani National Reserve, Mozambique

Summary

Ndzou Camp is a 22-bed ecotourism development located in the Moribane Forest Reserve, in the buffer zone of the Chimanimani National Reserve in Mozambique. Ndzou is a joint venture between Kubatana Moribane, a local community association, and the Mozambican private company Eco-Micaia Lda (Eco-Micaia). After eight years of operating accommodation, elephant tracking, forest walks and visits to local communities and sacred places, Ndzou was still operating at the fringes of commercial viability. Despite this, the camp has provided a platform for a wider engagement process in the forest zone, including expansion of a honey production programme, promotion of sustainable agriculture and the creation of community managed conservation areas.