Meet Zama Mbonambi

Zama's business is named after her dad, Naledi. The business idea was spurred by a trip with her local school to iSimangaliso Park for an environmental education tour. At this point, she started to question why schools travelled so far for an environmental education experience that could be had much closer to home and at a far smaller cost.  

Zama subsequently has obtained permission from the tribal court to use the Mbukwini Dam near her homestead and her vision is to provide an educational & recreational venue for families & school groups to canoe, picnic and bird watching in this beautiful location.

Zama wants to open an environmental education centre for schools at a nearby lake where children can undertake nature-based learning activities, canoeing, bird watching and a range of other activities. In the long term, she hopes this business can be expanded to include accommodation and attract school groups from all across the province. 

Zama's Needs, can you help?

Zama requires mentorship & training to boost her tourism and environmental education, as well as the equipment necessary to bring her dream to life. That equipment is the canoes, oars and life jackets that people would require to participate in this experience.

She also requires qualified staff who can take groups out, as well as guides with a good knowledge of local bird and plant life. She would very much like to liaise with institutions with an interest in environmental education to fund this substantial start-up, as providing this resource to local schools and affording rural students an opportunity rarely experienced, will go a long way to promoting the importance of the environment.

This is an ideal project to support from a business CSI perspective, Zama ticks all the boxes in terms of environmental education, youth development and conservation. The value this project could have in terms of environmental awareness in rural schools is significant. We'd love to hear from you if you'd like to work with Zama in any way!