CCAfrica Looks to America for Expansion – Exclusive Interview

In an exclusive interview with VISION on Sustainable Tourism, CCAfrica CEO, Steve Fitzgerald confirmed that the successful South African Lodge operator is considering options to expand to the American continent. During the course of the conversation, Mr Fitzgerald suggested that Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru even North America may present opportunities.

CCAfrica has become South Africa’s leading luxury ecotourism operator with more than 40 lodges and camps in wilderness locations in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Kenya and Tanzania. Now, the company provides accommodation for over 100,000 passengers a year.

The organisation was cofounded in 1991 by Dave Varty, whose vision was based on his and his brother John’s experience over two-and-a-half decades at family-owned Londolozi in the Sabi Sand. It was Varty and cofounder Alan Bernstein who sold this vision to wealthy shareholders, the then biggest being the US’s Getty Foundation and the AECI Pension Fund.

One of CC Africa’s successes in community empowerment was “Positive Health”, a preventative health programme that promotes healthy living to everyone in a community, including those with HIV/Aids.

CC Africa’s conservation strategy has also scored a number of wildlife victories, including a leopard monitoring system at Phinda; a black rhino range expansion project; the protection and monitoring of green turtles on Mnemba Island in the Zanzibar archipelago; and the reintroduction of endangered African wild dogs to Kwandwe in the Eastern Cape.

The independent, not-for-profit Africa Foundation, which was founded in 1992 by CC Africa, further empowers local communities by generating income and providing education, health care and infrastructure improvements across Africa.

Clearly the formula is working as the company is seeing no decrease in either sales or profits. Mr Fitzgerald emphasised that he feels the company’s business model was very durable “We will never compromise on the quality of our guest’s experience to make a minor environmental saving” he said. “However, we look at our lodges’ involvement in local communities and our contribution to the environment holistically.”

“We are not a member of any green certification scheme as in effect, we do our own certification. This is not just a marketing issue for us. The research we’ve done does not indicate that greenness attracts the first-time buyer. What they want is simply the experience of a lifetime, which we deliver. It is second-time, experienced clients that are influenced by our sustainability initiatives and refer others to us.”

The world’s richest are still spending on natural experiences and, through organisations like CCAfrica, that wealth is trickling down to local communities, the environment and the wildlife heritage.

CCAfrica is so committed to the luxury market and its current strength that a change of name may well be on the cards. “We’re not sure that our name clearly indicates the value and luxury of the experiences that we offer. Our established clients know but new ones may be attracted by a more informative name”

CCAfrica is seeking to broaden its horizons, and its client base. “If it was on the BBC’s “Planet Earth”, then we’d be interested in operating there” said Mr Fitzgerald.

Valere Tjolle

CCAfrica.com