World Report

Extending over 8,650 square miles, Kafue National Park is one of the best places in Africa to view wildlife

oughly the size of Wales, Kafue National Park is one of the largest national parks in the world. Situated in the central-western region of Zambia, it extends over 8,650 square miles, much of it wooded but opening out into vast plains, savannah and wetlands, and watered by the Kafue, Lufupa and Lunga Rivers.

The park teems with wildlife and is home to possibly the widest range of mammals in the country, including antelope, buffalo, cheetah, elephants, hippo, impala, leopard, lions, mongoose, wildebeest and zebra – the giraffe being the only notable absentee. It is also a birdwatchers’ paradise inhabited by more than 400 species.

Although Kafue National Park is Zambia’s oldest national park – it was proclaimed in 1950 – its development as a tourist attraction began only recently and it currently remains one of the wildest and least visited parks in Africa.
The government has identified it as a priority area for immediate private sector investment and millions of dollars are to be spent on enabling it to become a prime tourist destination. Both the World Bank and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) pledged support.

The government is committed to making the park accessible throughout the year and money will be spent on developing and rehabilitating infrastructure, including roads and airstrips.

The improvements are aimed at increasing the number of visitors and revenue potential while preserving the park’s bio-diversity and sustainablility. It is hoped eventually to attract up to 83,000 tourists annually within the next five years.

Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Patrick Kalifungwa says the government will foster partnerships with the private sector and the local community. A number of sites have been selected as suitable for the development of campsites and lodges.

The potential of the park as a tourist destination lies not only in its unique natural attractions but in its convenient location between Lusaka and Livingstone, Zambia’s tourism capital.

Apart from game viewing, the park offers opportunities for a variety of tourist activities ranging from walking safaris, cruising and canoeing, to hill and rock climbing.