2023 marked the 40th anniversary of Ingwelala, a magical milestone for a magical place.
Thank you to everyone who, over the past four decades, has contributed to this achievement. The revamped shop carried high quality merchandise and memorabilia representing the anniversary, showcasing this moment in history.
Thank you to the directors who volunteer unselfishly their personal time to ensure that Ingwelala continues to grow from strength to strength.
From a personnel point of view there were several changes in the management team, now back to full strength with five couples, thank you for your contributions, past and present, to maintain a friendly and efficient work environment.
The conservation intern programme continues to be successful, both Ndaedzo and Christine had a busy year and in my humble opinion surpassed all expectations. We look forward to welcoming and introducing the 2024 interns in mid-January.
Environmentally the single largest impact and event was Cyclone Freddy which left a wake of destruction to infrastructure which the conservation and maintenance teams attended to with aplomb.
The entrance gate (work in progress) was remodelled during its long overdue rethatch. The reverse osmosis water plant for drinking water was commissioned in December.
The staff accommodation house, Kudu, underwent a rethatch and major revamp to meet certificate of compliance obligations.
The collared elephant bull, Bambuti, was immobilized and recollared on Ingwelala, those fortunate to be present had a real-life jumbo experience alongside this gentle giant.
The staff take this opportunity to thank the Ingwelala community for everything you do for us, for all your support and encouragement and we wish each of you a prosperous 2024!
by John Llewellyn, images by Christine Wagner.