Victoria Falls anxious for tourists’ return

Published

4 years ago

September 8, 2021

VicFallsLive

BY ISH MAFUNDIKWA

The Victoria Falls are in full flow this year.

The mist from the water hitting the river more than 100 yards below is visible for miles. But the crowds are missing.

“Covid-19 has taken a big hit here; we are basically on life support,” said Gail van Jaarsvelt, who owns retail businesses in the area.

More than 300 000 foreign tourists visited the Zimbabwean site in 2019.

A mere 34,000 visited in 2020, threatening the survival of Victoria Falls, a city almost entirely dependent on tourist revenue.

To highlight the importance of tourism, the government offered free Covid-19 vaccination to every adult resident of Victoria Falls in March.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa made a point of getting vaccinated here, an event that was broadcast live on national TV.

By August, the Matabeleland North provincial medical director Munekayi Padingani said 72 percent of the town’s adults were fully vaccinated.

As a result, he said, Victoria Falls was spared the deadly delta variant-driven third wave that other parts of the country are experiencing.

“We can say that our vaccination campaign was successful,” he said.

“ The number of cases have gone down, and most of our cases are people who are not vaccinated.”

Some airlines that had stopped flying into Victoria Falls earlier in the pandemic have resumed their flights.

Farai Chimba, a hotel manager in the town, is also the vice chairperson of the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe.

He said this should boost arrivals.

“We anticipate that as these flights continue to come in and increase the frequency, we’ll also see a corresponding increase in the number of passengers traveling into the destination,” Chimba said.

But foreign tourists have to deal with travel restrictions in their own countries.

So there’s a new focus on domestic tourism to keep Victoria Falls afloat in the short term.

Still, van Jaarsveldt said, business owners need to do more to encourage more locals to visit.

“We dropped the ball with that long back,” she said. “We didn’t rate the local market, we wanted the more well-heeled travelers.”

The pandemic has indeed forced Zimbabwe’s tourism sector to take domestic tourism seriously.

Chimba said some hotels are offering locals discount packages of as much as 70 percent.

The government has targeted multi-media advertising campaigns and scrapped a consumption tax on tourism products and services for locals at tourist destinations. – Marketplace

UPDATE: ZimParks rangers injured in elephant attack receiving medical treatment

Published

5 hours ago

August 1, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) spokesperson, Tinashe Farawo has provided an update on the condition of two rangers who were injured earlier this week by elephants in the Sengwa, Chirisa Safari area.

The rangers, who were investigating a reported case of a snared buffalo, encountered a herd of elephants with calves that charged at them.

According to the update, one of the rangers has undergone treatment for his left arm and is currently in a stable condition.

The other ranger had a successful abdominal operation and is currently receiving surgery for his broken left arm and left leg.

The incident highlights the dangers faced by wildlife rangers in Zimbabwe. In a similar incident in March 2025, a Zimparks ranger was killed by an elephant in Kariba during a routine patrol in the Gatche-gatche area.

The authority has encouraged people to minimize movements at night to reduce the risk of human-wildlife conflicts.

National

Zimbabwe on track for 6% growth as economy recovers from drought

Published

6 hours ago

August 1, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY REUTERS

Zimbabwe is on track to achieve a forecasted 6% economic growth in 2025 helped by good agricultural output and strong commodity prices, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said on Thursday.

The Southern African country’s economy has shown signs of recovery in the first half of the year following a severe drought and currency turbulence in 2024 that pushed GDP growth down to 2%.

“Given the positive economic developments during the period January to June, we are confident that the projected economic growth of 6% alluded to in the 2025 National Budget is achievable,” Ncube told parliament in a mid-year budget review.

“All sectors of the economy are expected to record positive growth in 2025, mainly on account of a favourable agriculture season, improved electricity generation, stable exchange rate and inflation rate,” he said.

He did not give an update on the budget deficit, which was seen at 0.4% of gross domestic product in 2025 during the budget forecast last November.

Zimbabwe’s fiscal position remains under strain from grain imports, drought relief spending and the public sector wage bill. While the government has collected more revenue than in the same period last year, analysts say containing the deficit may prove difficult without new fiscal measures.

The local currency, the ZiG, launched in April 2024 to replace the Zimbabwe dollar, has largely remained stable against the U.S. dollar but is still overshadowed by widespread use of the dollar in everyday transactions.

Ncube reiterated the government’s commitment to the gold-backed unit and said the currency had benefited from tight monetary and fiscal policies.

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ZimParks salutes brave rangers on World Ranger Day

Published

1 day ago

July 31, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

Today marks World Rangers Day, a commemoration of the critical work that rangers do in protecting the world’s wildlife and natural resources. The day is significant as it recognizes the bravery, dedication, and sacrifices made by rangers who often put their lives on the line to safeguard the environment and conservation efforts.

In commemoration of World Rangers Day, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has issued a statement. Below is the full statement:

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) joins the rest of the world in recognizing the work of the brave men and women who put their lives on the line in protection of wildlife.
It is also a day to remember those who have lost their lives in line of duty and some who are still missing to date.

This year’s theme, “Rangers,Powering
Transformative Conservation,” speaks to the important role Rangers play, not only as protectors of wildlife but also as leaders who bring change and help shape the future of conservation.

From patrolling wildlife protected areas and stopping poachers to working with local communities and educating the public, Rangers are at the heart of everything we do to look after our wildlife heritage for current and future generations.

Rangers work across vast landscapes and often spend weeks in the bush facing dangerous conditions, tough weather, and limited resources but despite these challenges, they carry on with strength and dedication, knowing that their work makes a difference.

We believe that by investing in our Rangers, we are investing in the future of conservation in Zimbabwe.
As we mark this important day, we say thank you to all our Rangers. Your courage, passion, and commitment inspire us every day, you are the backbone of conservation, and we stand with you.