A short documentary film on the Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) won a silver award under the wildlife and conservation category at the 2023 International Tourism Film Festival Africa held at the Peninsula All Suite Hotel on Friday the 5th of May in Cape Town, South Africa
Supported by German’s Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), through the GIZ Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management (C-NRM) project, the film tells the story of the KAZA TFCA – the world’s largest terrestrial transfrontier conservation area which was established following the signing of the KAZA Treaty of 2011 by governments of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The film highlights some of the unique features of the landscape including the rivers, wetland ecosystems and biodiversity. It also showcases the people of the region – drawing on narratives around biodiversity, tourism, cultures, livelihoods, history, and experiences of living alongside wildlife.
Speaking at the event, Dr Nyambe Nyambe, KAZA Secretariat’s Executive Director said “We are proud of this film which has brought together compelling narratives informed by real-world experiences from across KAZA. The award is testament of the recognition of the efforts that have gone into the development of the TFCA so far. With increased awareness about KAZA, we foresee the film’s ripple effect in positioning KAZA as a leading transboundary conservation area and tourism destination.”
Lisa Blanken, Head of Component for the SADC/GIZ Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management (C-NRM) project also expressed happiness with the award, stating that “the award represents a highlight in GIZ’s work in supporting TFCAs across the SADC region”. She also stressed the importance of communicating about the successes of KAZA through film and the voices of the people working and living within the TFCA, to not only increase awareness amongst communities and stakeholders, but to also attract more tourists to this unique cross-border tourism destination.
BMZ, under the regional cooperation framework with SADC, has supported KAZA since 2009 in three different phases and COVID-19 emergency relief at a cost of nearly EUR 44 million in the areas of infrastructure, law enforcement, natural resources management, tourism development, community development and various capacity building initiatives, especially in protected areas management through the German Development Bank (KfW), and implemented by Peace Parks Foundation. Additional technical support is provided to support the tourism market development of KAZA through GIZ.
The award-winning film was produced by Makhulu Media with additional footage support from the National Geographic Society. You can watch the film here: https://youtu.be/Ws7gY99UfDE
For more information about KAZA, visit our website: www.kavangozambezi.org
Media contact:
Bridget Siziba, KAZA Secretariat Communications and Marketing Officer. Tel (+267 625 1332 / 1269). Email: bsiziba@kavangozambezi.org
