Tulani Ngwenya
LIVINGSTONE, Zambia — Five Southern African nations have committed to expanding a special common visa to facilitate easier movement of tourists across the region. The Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area, which includes Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, aims to boost tourism and economic development through this initiative.
During a summit held in Livingstone, Zambia, officials from the KAZA member states agreed in principle to broaden the use of the univisa, a unique visa that permits entry into multiple countries within the conservation area. The univisa, currently operational between Zambia and Zimbabwe, also allows day trips to Botswana via Kazungula. Introduced as a pilot project in 2014, Univisa has proven successful in promoting regional tourism.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema expressed optimism about the expanded visa programme, stating, “We must simply say that this will happen. I am grateful that my colleagues have reached consensus on the univisa.”
Botswana’s Vice President, Slumber Tsogwane, confirmed that his country would fully adopt the univisa, further facilitating seamless travel for tourists within the region.
In addition to enhancing tourism, the KAZA member states resolved to urge the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to lift the ban on the trade of elephants and ivory. CITES, an inter-governmental organisation with 184 member states, regulates wildlife trade to protect endangered species. The trade of African elephant ivory has been banned since 1989 to curb the species’ decline.
More from Africa News 24
South African political parties contest 2024 elections
KAZA nations claim to hold $1 billion worth of ivory stockpiles and seek to trade them to fund conservation programmes. The member states argue that lifting the ban would provide much-needed resources for wildlife protection and management.
The KAZA Transfrontier Conservation Area, the second-largest nature and landscape conservation area globally, encompasses significant parts of the Upper Zambezi River and Okavango basins. This collaborative effort among the five countries highlights their commitment to sustainable tourism and wildlife conservation.
The expanded univisa is expected to foster greater regional cooperation, enhance the tourism sector, and contribute to the economic development of the participating countries.
