Exclusive entrance into Hwange to open

13 Jul 2018 - by Kylie Granat

Elephant’s Eye Hwange is currently constructing a new entrance gate into Hwange National Park, which will cut down guests’ travelling time.

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Hideaways’ lodge, Elephant’s Eye Hwange, is constructing a new entrance gate between the borderless concession and the adjoining Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, which will cut guests’ travelling time on the tar road by 25 minutes.

With the building of Matoa Gate, guests will soon be able to drive straight to the park from the concession, with no detours. The gate will also monitor visitors and collect entrance fees.

Matoa Gate will provide easier and alternative access into the national park for some of the lodges situated on private concessions closer to the Dete area, says Katja Quasdorf, CEO and Director of Hideaways. “It also offers easier access to the Matoa Ruins, which are somewhat a highlight in Hwange National Park, even though not often visited. However, interesting and intriguing stories can be told by experienced guides from this area. For our lodge (Elephant’s Eye) it is a game-changer.”

Quasdorf says Hideaways’ has commenced with the first steps of the build and hopes to finish by October, at the latest.

Sulet Burger-Prinsloo, Hospitality Manager at Jenman African Safaris, says it is currently building accommodation for staff who will man the gate and also supplying water, solar power and a boom for the gate.

Hideaways forms part of the Jenman African Safaris Collection.

According to Burger-Prinsloo, operators contributing to these costs, other than Elephant’s Eye, include Imvelo Safari Lodges, Miombo Safari Camp, Hwange Safari Lodge, Sable Sands Lodge and Hwange Wildlife Safaris, a local tour operator.

Quasdorf adds that Steve Alexander, Field Co-ordinator for the Conservation & Wildlife Fund (CWF), says having a gate and road access to the national park will help his anti-poaching efforts and provide accessibility. Hideaways is a founding member of the CWF in Hwange.

The project is further stimulating job creation in the area, as the individuals from the community of Dete, a small rural village, have been making bricks and are helping build the structure, according to Burger-Prinsloo.