Kavango Zambezi - A shared vision
Meaning ‘come together’, Simalaha is an apt name for this community conservancy inspired and driven by the Sesheke and Sekhute chiefdoms. Bordering the Zambezi River on the Zambezi-Chobe floodplain, Simalaha is where wildlife and people come together and co-exist under one sky as they once did many years ago.
The vision of Chief Sekute of the Kazungula district and Senior Chief Inyambo Yeta of the Sisheke district to rehabilitate and conserve the region has become a reality through a partnership with the Zambian Government, supported by Peace Parks Foundation. The development of this community conservancy and the implementation of viable natural resource management have been key in uplifting local communities, creating income-generating opportunities through nature-based businesses, including tourism opportunities.
Zambian Horseback Safaris is privileged to be the sole tourism operator in the Conservancy. We are dedicated to preserving the magnificence of the Simalaha Conservancy alongside the communities that live there. This place of wild beauty is an ecology worth holding onto, not to mention the Lozi culture with their long term history on the Zambezi River. One of the first visitors to the reserve commented “Simalaha has the most extraordinary silence, different to other areas – no words can explain it.”
YOUR STAY CONTRIBUTES TO THE COMMUNITY TRUST
We contribute to the Simalaha Conservancy Trust in order to empower and support community initiatives to move out of poverty and to develop a love and ownership of their wildlife.
Park Fees of USD 50.00 per person per night are payable at Zambian Horseback Safaris of which 100% proceeds the Simalaha Conservancy Trust. Simalaha benefits from concession fees as well as the training and employment of local peoples in the construction and running of the lodge.
Life on the Simalaha Plains moves to the rhythm of the Zambezi.
Here, where the floodwaters rise and fall with the seasons, the Lozi people have lived for generations — their culture and livelihoods deeply woven into this landscape. When the plains flood, the river brings with it fertile soils. Families wait for the waters to retreat, then plant fields of maize, sorghum, millet and groundnuts. Cattle graze nearby — not just animals, but symbols of wealth, identity and tradition. In Lozi life, cattle mark the milestones of family: a bride price, a feast, a sacrifice in times of ceremony. Their bells are part of the music of the plains, mingling with birdsong and the rustle of papyrus in the wind.
The Lozi are custodians of the Simalaha Community Conservancy, a rare vision where farming, cattle and wildlife coexist. Chiefs Inyambo Yeta and Sekute dreamed of restoring this land — to bring back the herds of wildebeest and zebra that once roamed here, while still protecting the people’s right to farm and thrive.
Today, conservation agriculture and eco-tourism blend with traditional ways, ensuring that both community and wildlife have a future.
To visit the Simalaha is to glimpse a harmony that feels timeless: people, cattle, crops and wildlife, all tied to the ebb and flow of the great Zambezi.
