BOTSWANA – &Beyond is a leading safari operator in Africa. What sets this entrepreneurial enterprise apart is its focus on eco-tourism and employee empowerment. At Xudum Lodge in the Okavango Delta in Botswana, &Beyond lives up to its corporate ethic which considers “care of the land, care of the wildlife and care of the people” as crucial to business success.

Located in the Okavango delta in Botswana, Xudum Lodge is a sustainable tourism destination. As a business, &Beyond believes in the necessity to conserve wild spaces in Africa and its natural resources. This conservation company understands that this extends to the impact visitors have on natural habitats, which is why they built Xudum Lodge using recyclable material and local resources. Not only focusing on the environment, however, &Beyond also believes in building the skills capacity of its employees, placing them in an entrepreneurial role within their job description. Sandra Gonyora is an example of this business approach which enables employees to launch themselves from a platform for professional growth.

Sandra began at &Beyond as a masseuse and is currently the assistant manager at Xudum Lodge. Prepared to grow and develop their staff, &Beyond helped Sandra to complete a tourism management diploma and offered her in-house training. This has empowered her to take on the challenge of fulfilling a more demanding role at Xudum as well as see herself as an entrepreneur. Sandra’s dream is to start her own business in a few years time. She hopes to return to her home country of Zimbabwe and extend the skills of &Beyond to economically uplift the local people.

&Beyond gives people like Sandra the opportunity to develop their skills and grow in the business. This attitude towards its employees has meant that their staff offer service of the highest quality and are empowered in the hospitality industry. This approach, combined with its commitment to conservation through eco-tourism has made &Beyond a business success at Xudum lodge in Botswana.