- OCT’s hotel, herbarium lab, cultural village complete
The Okavango Community Trust (OCT)’s three mega projects: a hotel, herbarium lab and cultural village which are anticipated to boost the economy of the five villages the Trust covers have been completed and only awaits operation.
Headquartered in Seronga village, OCT serves the five villages of Seronga, Gunotsoga, Eretsha, Beetsha and Gudigwa in the Okavango Delta’s eastern panhandle.
Named ‘Selective Hotel’ the facility will provide accommodation services of international standards while conforming to the Trust’s goal of driving towards sustainable ecotourism in the eastern panhandle of the Okavango Delta. The eleven roomed luxurious facility features a restaurant, a conference facility, a kitchen, an office and a swimming pool.
Operations of the 22-bed-hotel are set to start at the beginning of 2025. Construction of the facility started in February 2023 and was scheduled to be completed in October the same year but there were some delays encountered consequently leading to deferment of its completion.
In an interview, OCT’s Manager Botshelo Sesinyi revealed that the construction of the hotel was fully funded through the Trust’s revenue generated through their general dealer, mortuary and a hardware store.
He noted that the facility has provided the community with employment opportunities since the begin-ning of its construction. Sesinyi however indicated that exemptions were only made when they were unable to find suitable candidates for certain positions within the community.
Sesinyi also revealed that their Herbarium Lab, for indigenous herbs and research at Eretsha village has also been completed. The Trust secured P547 569 funding through the UNDP small grants programme to facilitate the project.
“The lab will be running its own live virtual classes which will require videographers and editors and pri-ority will be given to qualified youth who are from the eastern panhandle villages,” revealed Sesinyi.
As women in the eastern panhandle are known to be knowledgeable in providing health assistance in form of herb medicines, their traditional reliance on using indigenous herbs coupled with their experi-ence, they are poised to economically benefit from the facility. Sesinyi indicated that these women will be provided with a source of financial opportunity as all of these known herbs will be documented and their expertise rewarded.
Meanwhile, the construction of the Eretsha Cultural Village which was funded under the ministry of en-vironment and tourism ’s National Conservation Trust fund to a total tune of P899 800 is also complete and will soon open for use. The cultural village comprises of eight thatched Tswana traditional huts, a fully furnished restaurant, dance arena, curio shop, art gallery, an information gallery and a managerial office. The aim of the cultural village is to offer tourists Ngamiland’s cultural experience, diversify Bot-swana’s tourism as well as sensitise and market traditions and culture of the area through ecotourism.
