Zimbabwe: New entry pavilion at Hwange National Park nears completion! [update #2]

update (19 December 2025): Back in November 2025, the SADC Transfrontier Conservation Area Network confirmed that the new US$1.4 million multi-purpose entrance gate and tourism complex has been completed at Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.  

update (08 July 2025): The multipurpose pavilion at Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe is almost complete and set to be opened to the public by the end of July 2025. According to ZimParks Director General, Dr Edson Gandiwa, ZimParks is only waiting to complete a few civil works. 

Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe is set to welcome visitors through a brand-new, state-of-the-art entry pavilion, now 95% complete. Located in Matabeleland North Province in north-west Zimbabwe, the US$1.4 million one-stop facility is expected to significantly enhance tourism, conservation, and park security.
Construction of the new access hub began in October 2023 as part of a joint initiative between the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The project is designed to modernize Hwange National Park's entrance and streamline operations.

Once complete, the new pavilion will replace the current boom gate and feature:

• a visitor centre and tourism office (relocated from the main camp),
• ranger accommodation
• a car park,
• a high-security checkpoint equipped with smart surveillance technology,
• a craft shop supporting local small enterprises and artisans.

Situated near the railway line along the boundary between Hwange National Park and Forestry Commission land, the facility comprises twin buildings on either side of the road, connected by a modern entrance gate.

In addition to enhancing the visitor experience, the pavilion is set to:

• strengthen anti-poaching measures through advanced monitoring systems,
• improve oversight of park activities and reduce revenue leakage,
• create a more streamlined and secure entry point for local and international tourists.

With Victoria Falls just a two-hour drive away, ZimParks hopes the new facility will attract more visitors and support regional tourism growth. The project marks a significant milestone in efforts to balance conservation with economic development in Zimbabwe's largest national park.

Home to approximately 45,000 elephants, over 100 species of mammals, and more than 400 bird species, Hwange National Park is one of Zimbabwe's premier wildlife destinations and a vital part of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA).
Spanning an incredible 520,000 km² - an area nearly the size of Germany and Austria combined - KAZA TFCA is the largest transfrontier conservation area in the world. It was established to protect biodiversity, promote regional conservation cooperation, and stimulate sustainable tourism across southern Africa. 

Zimbabwe: Construction of a new multi-purpose complex at Hwange National Park's main entrance point has commenced!

The construction of a state-of-the-art multi-purpose complex at the main entrance and exit point to Hwange National Park in north-west Zimbabwe has commenced. The building, which is expected to cost about US$1.4 million, will comprise a new one-stop gate, tourism offices, an exhibition centre, visitor and cultural centres, staff and ranger housing and a car park. The new complex is the first significant investment since ZimParks, the Zimbabwean Parks & Wildlife Management Authority, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), one of the largest animal welfare and conservation charities in the world, have signed a 25-year agreement to secure a US$50 million partnership to support wildlife conservation in Hwange National Park. According to ZimParks director-general Dr Fulton Mangwanya, the construction of the multi-purpose complex is expected to be complete by June 2024.

With 45,000 elephants, over 100 species of mammals, and 400 bird species, Hwange National Park is a core part of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) - the world’s largest transfrontier conservation area—established to promote conservation and tourism development. At a staggering 520,000 km² - an area almost the size of Germany and Austria combined - KAZA comprises a mosaic of land uses, with 36 formally proclaimed Pational Parks and three UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Malawi: Zebra and waterbuck are being reintroduced to Kasungu National Park!

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in conjunction with Malawi's Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) has begun translocating zebra and waterbuck from Kuti Wildlife Reserve in Salima in central Malawi to Kasungu National Park in western Malawi. The first seven zebra (four mares and three stallions) arrived at the National Park on 08 July 2020. 
The reintroduction of zebra will bolster the population in Kasungu National Park to 21 animals, while the waterbuck will make up a founder breeding herd. These, together with the elephant population which has grown to more than 100 from the last 50 remaining in 2015, is bringing life back to Kasungu National Park's empty spaces. Leopard, wild dog, and lion have also been sighted back in the National Park after a long absence.

Kasungu National Park is Malawi's second largest National Park (240,000²-hectare). It is located west of Kasungu, about 175 km north of Lilongwe, extending along Malawi's border with Zambia. The National Park used to be home to over 1,000 elephants, herds of waterbuck, at least 500 zebra and quantities of buffalo and many other species. Decades of severe poaching and encroachment into the National Park decimated the once majestic herds to virtual local extinction. In early 2016, IFAW and DNPW started working together on an ambitious project to bring Kasungu National Park back from the brink. IFAW began to rebuild the infrastructure, train an effective and efficient wildlife ranger force and end rampant poaching of wildlife in the National Park. Through this partnership and great transformation, the Kasungu National Park is now a safe space for wildlife.

Kenya: Amboseli National Park got extended by 16000 acres

The Amboseli National Park in Kenya is the country's second smallest national park covering an area of only about 398km², but the approx. 1400 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem usually roam over an area of 5000km² across the Maasai community lands, sometimes conflicting with local people. The elephant’s most favourite route to travel, the journey they have made for millennia, is across the border with Tanzania and onto the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro.



After much discussion and on-going scientific research by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and its partners, the Olguluilui/Ololarashi Group Ranch (OOGR), a local Maasai community, the Kitenden Corridor Conservation Area (KCCA) land owners and the IFAW now signed a lease agreement, which adds about 16,000 acres of land called the "Kitenden Corridor" to the Amboseli National Park. The land covered by the agreement opens up a safe corridor for the elephants to make their way across the border. On the Tanzanian side of the border, a similar corridor already exists.