Mkambathi – In a milestone moment for community-centred conservation and development, the Mkambathi Land Trust has received its first royalty payment from GweGwe Beach Lodge, just over a year after the lodge opened within the northern concession of the Mkambathi Nature Reserve.
Under the lodge’s agreement with the Trust and the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), a portion of revenue generated through tourism is shared with the landowners. In September, the lodge handed over its first royalty payment of R477,611, a proud moment that reflects not only business success but meaningful partnership with local communities.
The Trust has confirmed that the majority of this funding will be reinvested directly into community priorities. Immediate plans include supporting seven primary schools, one in each of the Trust’s Administrative Areas, to help improve learning environments and opportunities for local children.
For many residents, this is a step towards tangible benefit from tourism in the region.
Importantly, the community impact extends beyond the reserve boundaries through the work of the associated non-profit, Mkambati Conservation & Community NPC. This organisation has been quietly transforming lives with a set of high-impact interventions that respond directly to community needs.
Notable achievements to date include the complete refurbishment of Mkambathi primary school, a project that has brought new hope and better learning conditions to local families.
In a first for the area, the NPC also hosted community eye clinics, delivering 300 prescription reading glasses to residents who previously lacked access to basic vision care. Access to healthcare is planned to increase through the construction of a mobile medical clinic, which provides complimentary services to remote communities often underserved by conventional healthcare facilities as well as the construction of an operating theatre at Holy Cross Hospital for volunteer surgeons.
These programmes exemplify how conservation revenue can be harnessed for broader social development, from education to health, building resilience and opportunity across the region.
The successful royalty handover and the NPC’s expanding impact highlight a shared commitment to sustainable, community-driven progress. As tourism grows, so too does the promise of meaningful, long-term benefit for local people.
