Africa-Press – Botswana. Wilderness has launched a new agri-training initiative, Shokomoka, backed by a multi-million pula investment to support sustainable agriculture, community empowerment, and food security in Shorobe.
The P2.4 million project will deliver practical training in vegetable farming, seedling production and beekeeping, aiming to generate over 10,000 seedlings annually.
Jobs and food security
The Shokomoka Agri-Training Facility is expected to create eight permanent jobs and provide temporary employment for up to 10 people from the Shorobe community.
Every two years, 10 farmers will be trained to supply high-quality produce to the local market and tourism industry. Government officials and Shorobe village leaders have already been engaged in the project’s mobilisation efforts.
Speaking at a stakeholder breakfast in Gaborone, Caretaker Managing Director of Wilderness Botswana, Joe Matome, said the initiative demonstrates the company’s deep-rooted commitment to sustainable tourism and community well-being.
Strategic partnerships
Said Matome: “We do not pursue impact as an obligation. We pursue it because it is our purpose.”
A new Memorandum of Understanding was also signed with Stanbic Bank Botswana to provide local tourism suppliers with access to financing. The partnership is part of Wilderness’s wider mission to remove barriers to growth and promote citizen economic empowerment through financial inclusion.
The stakeholder breakfast also previewed the upcoming second edition of the Wilderness Local Supplier Expo in Maun.
Wilderness Local Supplier Expo
The 2025 edition aims to increase procurement spend and support capacity building for citizen-owned enterprises. To date, the initiative has generated over P6.3 million in procurement for local suppliers.
Wilderness’s development model continues to focus on education, empowerment and environmental protection as its core pillars.
“Our message is simple: we engage for progress, we partner for impact, and we show up where it matters most,” said Matome.
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