Zimbabwe defies expectations and preconceptions. Travellers who come here despite its political and economic woes discover a remarkable, resilient, and safe country with spectacular landscapes, diverse wildlife, splendid camps and lodges, and top-class safari guides.
Its star attraction is the dramatic, bone-drenching Victoria Falls, the largest curtain of falling water in the world. Other highlights include Hwange, the country’s largest national park, renowned for its huge herds of elephants. Magical Mana Pools National Park, a UNESCO site on the banks of the Zambezi, offers camping, canoeing, and walking. Lake Kariba, a vast inland sea, boasts unforgettable sunrises with wildlife-rich Matusadona National Park on its shores.
However, few visitors venture to Gonarezhou. Located in the south-eastern corner of the country, an eight-hour drive or 90-minute flight from Harare, this remote national park has yet to appear on many travellers’ radars. Nevertheless, it is poised for discovery. With an incredible story of regeneration, conservation, and hope for local communities, Gonarezhou is Zimbabwe’s emerging treasure.
The ‘Place of Elephants’
Gonarezhou means ‘The Place of Elephants,’ an apt name for a reserve that’s home to almost 11,000 elephants. Spanning 5035 sq km, this second-largest national park in Zimbabwe is one of Africa’s last great wildernesses, embodying raw and unfettered nature, a place of space and expansive skies with ever-changing landscapes.
Crocodiles and hippos wallow in the sweeping Save and Runde sand rivers. The floodplains and forests of mopane, mahogany, and giant baobabs support over 150 mammal species ranging from prancing impala, wildebeest, warthogs, and zebra to graceful giraffe, eland, buffalo, and herds of elephants. Predators include lions, spotted and even brown hyena, and a staggering 12 packs of rare African wild dogs. Among the park’s 400 bird species are majestic African fish eagles, spoonbills, and Pel’s fishing-owls, with the lily-strewn Tembwehata Pan and nearby Machaniwa Pan both classified as Important Birding Areas.
At the heart of Gonarezhou stand the dramatic Chilojo Cliffs, towering almost 200m high and stretching 16km long, their sandstone tiers of cream, pink, and terracotta glowing golden at sunset.
Troubled Past
Gonarezhou has a troubled history. In 1968, the Shangaan people living in the reserve were displaced to control the tsetse fly population, leading to a cull of wildlife in the affected areas. Initially gazetted as a national park in 1975, Gonarezhou soon became embroiled in civil wars, both Zimbabwe’s and Mozambique‘s, during which wildlife suffered tremendously.
With Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, many Shangaan sought to return home, but were refused as the government prioritized the park’s conservation. Yet many returned regardless, notably from Mahenye village which borders the park’s northern boundary. Poaching became rampant, resulting in fierce encounters with rangers.
Communities and Campfire
Out of this chaos, the Campfire concept emerged (Communal Area Management Programme for Indigenous Resources). Clive Stockil, born and raised in Mahenye and regarded as an honorary Shangaan, realized that if communities owned the wildlife on communal lands and benefitted from it, protection efforts would follow. Following tense negotiations, limited hunting safaris were allowed outside the park, with an annual quota of two elephants: the meat and income were allocated to the community.
By 1983, the first school was built in Mahenye from the proceeds, leading to a dramatic drop in poaching rates, from the highest to the lowest in the country. Campfire became a blueprint for community partnerships in wildlife regions across Africa, and Clive became a well-respected conservationist.
Today, following past troubles, the people of Mahenye have settled in their traditional homes of mud and thatch huts, surrounded by cattle kraals, grain stores, and chicken pens on stilts. The village now features a clinic, schools, boreholes, and grinding mills developed through the Campfire initiative. Although it’s still early, they are taking significant steps toward establishing the new Jamanda Conservancy, having recently relinquished 121 sq km of land adjoining Gonarezhou for wildlife conservation and photographic safaris.
Gonarezhou’s New Beginnings
During Mugabe’s economic mismanagement, the beleaguered national park again struggled with diminished resources for wildlife protection. In 2007, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA) invited the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) to help restore the park. Initially, FZS supported anti-poaching patrols, enhanced training, and improved infrastructure.
After ten years, FZS and ZPWMA strengthened their collaboration by forming the new Gonarezhou Conservation Trust (GCT) to manage the park for 20 years; the Trust is pivotal in transforming Gonarezhou into the thriving destination it is today.
As wildlife populations flourish, elephants, buffalo, lions, and leopards are regularly spotted. The only notable absence remains the rhinos, which were poached to local extinction in the 1990s. Nevertheless, GCT anticipates reintroducing rare black rhinos next year as part of a new conservation initiative, aiming to transform Gonarezhou into a Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo) destination.
However, for conservation efforts to succeed, local communities must be engaged. Villages bordering the park often deal with elephants raiding their crops or lions attacking their livestock. GCT actively collaborates with villagers through regular meetings to address these challenges. Furthermore, an education programme and workshops led by GCT’s Chilojo Club are teaching residents methods to better protect their crops and livestock, understand animal behavior, and promote conservation principles.
The most significant gain of conservation efforts lies in employment opportunities. GCT has opened a training centre for local residents, marking a first for the area, and employs nearly 250 staff members, with 85% being locals.
Such opportunities are expected to increase as Gonarezhou garners deserved visibility among travellers, inviting more visitors to explore its wild, untamed beauty.
Where to Stay
Visitors should not expect a multitude of lodges and camps; what makes Gonarezhou unique is its status as a rare unspoilt wilderness.
The park offers campsites for self-drivers, from fabulous wild camping areas like Director’s near Chilojo Cliffs—where the only facility is a long-drop toilet—to en-suite tents complete with kitchens at Chipinda Pools. Unique manangas represent a new style of accommodation with a minimal environmental impact, constructed and managed by local women to replicate traditional homes, featuring a communal kitchen and dining area. Choose Masasani Mananga for daily sightings of elephants and antelopes coming to drink at the dam.
For those seeking a more upscale experience, the beautiful Gonarezhou Bush Camp provides excellent private guiding with Ant Kaschula and offers five comfortable en-suite tents overlooking Chilojo Cliffs and the river.
Conveniently, the closest lodge is Clive Stockil’s luxury Chilo Gorge located on Mahenye’s communal lands. Set high on a cliff, it offers breathtaking views down into a spectacular gorge and the Save River, with staff predominantly consisting of locals while the community benefits from lease fees and a percentage of income.
