Safari-loving Gulf investors can now own their own piece of an African game reserve. Shane McGinley travelled to Limpopo Limpadi in Botswana to see what's on offer
Picture this Sunday scene: camping in a tent alongside a slow flowing river, midnight songs by campfire light, a drive through the country and a picnic by a lake. Now imagine a 1,500kg hippo wading in the river by the tent, a four-metre-long crocodile moves through the grass near the campfire, you turn a corner in the bush and encounter a three metre tall elephant ripping down a tree and four white rhinos stopping for an evening drink.
Add to this speeding ostriches, chasing warthogs, spying on 400 species of birds and learning to track lions and cheetahs and you then understand why the Limpopo-Lipadi Game and Wilderness Reserve describes itself as "a life changing experience".
The 32,450 hectares reserve is located along 21km of the Limpopo River in eastern Botswana along the Botswana-South African border. The Reserve's owners are offering Gulf investors the chance to own a lifelong share of the reserve for about $195,000 per share. This entitles owners to visit the Reserve, stay in one of the luxury lodges, go on safari, learn to become a tracker or take a course in wine tasting or archaeology.
There are three different share options available, Gold, Platinum or Diamond status. Gold status, which is a single share, means the user can visit the Reserve as often as they like for a maximum of two weeks at a time. However at the end of each two week period they can book another visit and stay on if there is availability. Owners can bring up to five guests free of charge.
Platinum status, or three shares, means the user can book for up to 90 days and can bring up to 11 guests free of charge per visit. Four or five or more shares is Diamond or Private Lodge status and this entitles the purchaser to own their own lodge at the Reserve, however the cost, design and construction of which is additional to the price of the shares. The basic units are a maximum of four bedrooms and 300 square metres.
A company, group or trust can buy a share, however one nominated user must be appointed and this person is responsible for the overall share and must be present on every visit. The owners will use the luxury lodges, of which there will be six different types, individually designed around different areas and locations of the Reserve.
These will be for shareholders and their guests and will not be for the general public, however for visiting members of the public there will also be two 24-bed commercial lodges which will be rented out and the income used towards the running of the Reserve.
The Reserve, which is made up of several farms that were either bought or leased, eventually aims to extend to 60,000 hectares and is one of the few places in Botswana where foreigners can buy.
Located in the Tuli Block in a malaria free region of Botswana, the Reserve is 450km northwest of Johannesburg. This is roughly five hours drive or owners will be able to fly directly into the Reserve in their own jets as they are planning to build their own private landing strip onsite.
Botswana is one of Africa's richest countries and the majority, or nearly 80 per cent of its export earnings, comes from diamond mining. A country the size of France, but will a population of just over 1.6 million, this a vast wilderness with 29 per cent of the land dedicated to reserves, the highest figure in the world.
The country has a low crime rate and is a lot more advanced on racial and gender issues than some of its African neighbours. For example, the current president Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama is of mixed race decendency and when I visited a local village, which the Reserve operates an ongoing corporate social responsibility programme with, the local chief informed me that of the five representatives on his council two were women.
Female empowerment is very important in this region, as any reader of Alexander McCall Smith's Botswana-based mystery series 'The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' will know very well. However, the country is not without its problems as it has one of the highest AIDS problems in the world and therefore providing health care and facilities is a priority for the government and the Reserve managers.
The Reserve has a dedicated sustainability programme in place to maintain the Reserve's ecological balance. Only 0.01 per cent of the Reserve land will have lodges on it and new houses are being built onsite for the workers.
Gulf buyers will be keen to know that Alan Marneweck, the Reserve's director, reports that a similar development in the area has exceeded 300 per cent capital growth over the last five years and share prices have risen to about $195,000 at present from $96,000 in January 2007.
So far approximately 70 per cent of the 465 shares bought have been by foreigners. The Reserve is currently looking for agents to sell shares in the Middle East region.
© 7Days 2009
