On December 6, 2024, the South African College for Tourism (SACT) in Graaff-Reinet, South Africa, hosted a historic moment for conservation and tourism in Mozambique: the graduation ceremony of the first 23 young Mozambicans, funded by the founding partners of Karingani Game Reserve, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen and Maggie Lansdown.

This is the culmination of a year-long training program in strategic areas such as hospitality, conservation and animal tracking, benefiting young people from the Magude and Massingir communities. The program allows these young people to apply for full-time employment at Karingani Game Reserve, other parks, or in the Mozambican tourism industry.

The ceremony was attended by the students' families, who came from the Massingir and Magude districts under the patronage of Karingani Reserve Game. Also present were the Governors of Gaza and Maputo provinces, Margarida Mapanzene and Manuel Tule, respectively; Ludgero Gêmo, Director of Culture and Tourism of Maputo province; Lázaro Manuel Bambamba, Administrator of Magude district; and Esmeralda Mutemba, Administrator of Massingir district.

Karingani Game Reserve investors and representatives, tourism and conservation professionals, SACT representatives, alumni and renowned regional and international conservation leaders, including conservation entrepreneur and philanthropist Johan Rupert, came together to celebrate this important achievement.

The program allows these young people to apply for full-time employment at Karingani Game Reserve, other parks, or in the Mozambican tourism industry.

The program strengthens Karingani Game Reserve's commitment to empowering local youth and creating opportunities to position Mozambique as a high-value tourist destination. This initiative aligns with the Government of Mozambique's policies on training, capacity building and the development of tourism and environmental conservation. Graduates' skills in hospitality and wildlife tracking meet the demands of an industry focused on excellence, attracting top international brands in hospitality and tourism.

According to Mateus Mutemba, Executive Director of Karingani Game Reserve, "This graduation marks the beginning of a transformative era for the tourism and conservation sectors in Mozambique. By investing in the training of local young people in a region with significant potential for wildlife-based tourism, untapped potential and a former hotspot for illegal wildlife activities, including involving youth, it lays the foundations for sustainable ecotourism that aligns with national tourism and conservation development policies. These young people represent the future of our country in this sector and are a testament to the transformative power of education in our communities. Karingani will continue to support these graduates, ensuring their integration into the job market and maximizing the impact of this initiative".

"All graduates from this group will be assigned to Karingani Game Reserve, Gorongosa National Park and the Drostdy Hotel in South Africa." added Mutemba.

The Governor of Maputo Province, Manuel Tule, took the opportunity to express his gratitude to the partners of the Karingani Game Reserve and the South Africa College for Tourism (SACT) for the support given to the training process of the 23 young people: "Ehis act is a lucid demonstration of the assertive commitment to raising the quality of human capital for tourism management, which has a cumulative workforce of 19,932 technicians, and for the management of wildlife conservation areas, giving more impetus to the response to the human-wildlife conflict, our most pressing challenge in the communities.". He stressed that "this act is a unique opportunity to strengthen the potential and offer of quality tourist services and products".

For her part, the Governor of Gaza Province, Margarida Mapandzene Chongo, highlighted the importance of the initiative: "Thehe young graduates are a huge relief for the communities they come from, in particular, as it is important for them to feel first-hand the advantages of setting up ventures of this nature in their environment. With the training of these staff, which we are confident will be of international quality, we believe that we stand to gain in terms of providing services in the tourism sector and, most importantly, in terms of guaranteeing economic power insofar as we secure more jobs for our young people“.

The partnership with SACT has provided a platform for skills development and social inclusion, ensuring that graduates emerge as leaders in the provision of high quality food and beverage services, visitor reception operations, culinary arts and accommodation management, as well as wildlife tracking. These young professionals are now equipped to work as tour guides, wildlife monitors, anti-poaching agents and environmental education professionals. This strategic investment positions Mozambique to compete globally in tourism, while promoting environmental conservation and economic growth.

Deolinda Ngovene, one of the graduates, said: "This initiative is commendable because it has provided a year of learning alongside people who speak a different language. Initially, learning was very difficult due to the English language barrier. Now, we are fluent in English and ready to enter the job market. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Karingani Game Reserve for this opportunity. I will take a lot of knowledge back to Mozambique".

Aldo Valói, a graduate in wildlife tracking, shared his experience: "I learned a lot about wildlife and animals, which was fundamental for me as I knew nothing about the area. I gained essential knowledge about animal behavior and their names. This experience has also introduced me to a new culture. I plan to apply my skills in Mozambique to educate and raise awareness of wildlife conservation."

Karingani Game Reserve reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development and will continue to lead initiatives that promote local communities, positioning the country as a benchmark in high-quality tourism. Proof of this commitment is the selection of a second group of 23 students from the communities who will begin their training at SACT in January 2025.

At the most symbolic moment of the event, the handing out of diplomas, the Governors of Maputo and Gaza Provinces were invited on stage to place the graduation sashes on the graduates while they also received their diplomas. The Gregório Raymo Awards, for the four best hospitality students of the year, the Best Culinary Arts Student Award and the Best Screening Course Student Award were also presented to the outstanding students. Mozambican Abednigno Ananias Mongoé received the Hyena Award as the best student on the Wildlife Tracking Course, while Mozambican Rute Francisco Mongoé was recognized with the Wellness Department Academic Award as the best student of 2024 in manicure, pedicure and waxing.