Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency Media Release

Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency Signs a R400m Eco-Tourism Agreement with the Manyeleti Conservation Trust
Development plan for the Manyeleti Game Reserve to focus on tourism and community development Johannesburg [Insert Date] For immediate release The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) has announced the conclusion of a R400 million eco-tourism agreement with the Manyeleti Conservation Trust, which represents the land claim beneficiaries who now hold the concession for the Manyeleti Game Reserve in the north of the province. The funds have been earmarked for eco-tourism development in the reserve, which borders on the world-renowned Kruger National Park. This investment, together with a further R20 million from the private sector, will be used to improve the tourism infrastructure in the park and to market it as an attraction, says MTPA CEO, Charles Ndabeni. We anticipate that, apart from improving the long-term revenue stream from tourism, this initiative will create approximately 600 new jobs over the next two years. The development plan for the 23 000 hectare reserve has been based on the successful development of the Madikwe Game Reserve in North West. As with Madikwe, the plan will focus on infrastructure development, training and skills transfer, community development, marketing, sustainability and profitability. The objective is to position Manyeleti as a Big Five eco-tourism destination, and to target it at the high-end leisure tourism market both locally and internationally.
MTPA Media Release Page 1 of 3

The Manyeleti Game Reserve business model defines a new way of addressing the challenges of managing land claim settlements such as this one successfully, says Ndabeni. The land, which is owned by the community trust, is managed in conjunction with government and private sector investors through a co-management committee. In this way, investment and operational risk for all parties is minimised, and both the private sector and the community can benefit from development in the reserve. In terms of the model, the MPTA will be responsible for conservation management, while the comanagement committee, which was constituted in terms of the land claim settlement, will be tasked with handling concessions, financial management, commercial development, marketing and infrastructure maintenance. Exclusive eco-tourism destinations have significant appeal in the high-end tourism market, Warwick Goosen of the Tintswalo Group, speaking on behalf of the trust, and Manyeleti has the distinct advantage of being located close to the largest conservation estate in Africa, namely the Kruger National Park and the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. The Manyeleti Conservation Trust, and through it the local community, will benefit in a number of ways from the development plan. Benefits will include equity in each of the seven lodges planned for the reserve, three of which already exist; the transfer of accrued assets to the community after pre-defined lease periods of between 15 and 45 years; and exclusive rights to provide game drive services to the lodges. Game drive and related services will be provided on a carefully-managed basis so as not to compromise the exclusive nature of the tourism experience the reserve offers, and sustainability will be carefully monitored against an environmental code of practice, a protocol framework and a social contact with the broader community. The 12-year journey since the land claim was lodged has been a difficult one, says John Ndlovu, the trusts chairperson, but now we are celebrating a new beginning for both the land claimants and for the reserve itself.

MTPA Media Release Page 2 of 3

Over the next three months, all statutory bodies will be appropriately constituted, and plans will be put in place to develop the four additional lodges and other infrastructure. For us at the MTPA, this agreement, which comes shortly after Nelson Mandela Day, is a gift to Mr Mandela for his 67 years of dedicated service to the people of South Africa, concludes Ndabeni. Lest we forget, the Manyeleti Game Reserve is the only reserve that was accessible to black people during the apartheid era, so it has a very special place in our history and in our hearts.

For further information on the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, visit www.mpumalanga.com, and for more information on Manyeleti Game Reserve, visit http://manyeleti.krugerpark.co.za or www.krugerpark.com/manyeleti.

End.

Media Contact: Kholofelo Nkambule

MTPA Media Release Page 3 of 3