Victoria Falls // The sight of what appears to be a splendid country mansion is a welcome surprise after a hot, dusty drive near the town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
The Stanley and Livingstone at Victoria Falls, a Victorian-style boutique hotel, and its adjacent 2,400-hectare game reserve are owned by the Saudi national Sheikh Adel Aujan through his company Rani Investment, which is based in Dubai.
Rani is seeking other opportunities in Zimbabwe, despite the damage done to the country's tourism industry by the country's political and economic problems.
Members of the tourism industry in the landlocked African country say business has started to pick up after the Zimbabwean dollar was abandoned.
Before that, billions were required to buy basic groceries amid hyperinflation. The introduction of a power-sharing government has also helped the sector.
"We are looking at further investments in tourism in Zimbabwe," says Costa Shinya, the general manager of the Stanley and Livingstone at Victoria Falls.
"If we can manage to get more land, we'll look at investing more in Victoria Falls."
Mr Shinya says Rani is also considering investing in Kariba, to the north west. "Right now the [land] prices are slightly below what their true value is."
He says the company may consider a hunting reserve in Zimbabwe, where tour operators say visitors pay tens of thousands of dollars to shoot big game.
Hunting is popular with visitors from the Gulf, the operators say.
Rani's main focus is its juice and beverage division, which makes drinks under brands including Vimto. But the company has other interests in Africa, with several luxury resorts in Mozambique.
No comments:
Post a Comment