On the 31st of December 2011, Erin Langworthy’s survived after her bungee cord snapped. Here’s our reaction, some other media coverage, including a video and how the Zambian Tourism Minister did the very same bungee jump to reassure visitors.

Update: 11/01/12
Since we posted this, it’s come to light that on Monday the 9th of January 2012, Given Lubinda, Zambia’s Tourism Minister took a leap of faith and did the same bungee jump! He did this to reassure people that Erin’s accident was a one off  and that it should not be seen as a reflection of poor safety standards. What an excellent response! Hat’s off.

Our reaction
It’s not a great advert for safety levels on high octane activities in Livingstone, Zambia. However, accidents do happen — after all this is a bungee jump and can be defined as an extreme sport. Such activities are marketed specifically to self confessed adrenaline junkies. Some people just wouldn’t take the risk.

The Christmas season is celebrated as a time of giving, and Kazuma Enterprises Limited, who are no strangers to giving, were recently involved in sponsoring the launch of a cookbook created by the Diplomatic Spouses Association (DSA) with proceeds going to charitable organisations in Lusaka.

The cookbook is entitled “a gastronomic tour of the world” and is filled with exciting recipes from many different cultures. The DSA ladies are themselves from different parts of the globe, but all currently live in Lusaka, Zambia. They have each contributed a special recipe from their country to create this cookbook!

The DSA is a group that was founded over 20 years ago by a group of dynamic spouses in Lusaka and is open to the wives or husbands of personnel in Zambia who are attached to Diplomatic Missions or the Expatriate Business Community. DSA is an independent, non-profit, non-political organization voluntarily run under the motto “Partners for Prosperity”. The group holds various fund raising events throughout the year and the proceeds are dispersed among the many charities it supports.

The launch of the cookbook was held at the Irish Ambassador’s home. All the ladies came out to celebrate over a delicious meal with some specially selected wines. Kazuma’s wine ambassador and sommelier Gabriel Salas from Concha y Toro, in Chile, paired some of the Kazuma wines especially for each meal in the cookbook. Kazuma also sponsored the wines for the launch.

The following DSA members helped with printing costs by personally sponsoring a page each: Ann Hogg, Annette Frazer, Branka Celeketic, Brenda Corbitt, Colleen Cerrutti, Deb Ferrnow, Enza Rizzo, Eva Schindling, Irene Cook, Irene Kwesiga, Janine Fryer, Jill Penny, Kala Lyengar, Kanaan Talwar, Lara Kvalsig, Marie Cotter, Nadia Graef, Refole Banda, Rita Mittal, Ruth Fode, Soraya King, Tabeth Gowero and Tina Kapur.

This fabulous book is printed by New Horizon Printing Press and will shortly be available in major bookshops in Zambia.

In a previous blog we announced how one lucky member of The Best of Zambia team won two nights at Kanyemba Lodge. Well, that lucky person was me, Multi-media journalist for the Best of Zambia! So, here’s what happened on this fabulous getaway trip in the Lower Zambezi…

Winning two nights for two at Kanyemba Lodge was such a shock for me. Last month, we went out to support one of our own, Roma House, as they were hosting Conservation Lower Zambezi’s “cocktails for conservation night” fund raising event. The night was extremely successful and ended with a draw. I joked with the others that this trip was definitely mine as I’d thrown in my business card. Much to my surprise and delight, my name was called out!

Getting to Kanyemba
After the initial excitement we had to pull this trip off. Neither I, nor my boyfriend Sizwe (who I decided to share this trip with) had ever been to the Lower Zambezi before, and we had no idea how to get there! After some consultation, we decided to use the transport services provided by Kanyemba Lodge. Our driver, who introduced himself as Paul, was very punctual and he picked us up at 7 o’clock sharp. Our drive was extremely comfortable, with refreshments on board and a travel break. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the journey only took two hours. When we reached the shores of the Zambezi, Thomson and a speed boat from Kanyemba was waiting. Thomson was to be our guide throughout our stay. Off the speed boat, the drive to Kanyemba was only 15 minutes.

Hippos
We were immediately treated to the sight of several hippos and Thomson was kind enough to get close enough for us to take pictures. I was terrified by how huge the hippos were in real life — nothing compared to the hippo’s I had seen from my small TV set!

The sundowner cruise
On arrival we were met by Brent Walker, one of the team members at Kanyemba Lodge and joined by the lovely Finola Dickie who went out of her way to make sure we had a lovely stay. Our gorgeous room was set in beautiful African decor with a thatched roof. After some rest we came out to a delicious lunch with Brent and Finola. Together we discussed what we wanted to do for the day and decided on a sun downer cruise.

The cruise was sooo exciting! We got to see lots of birds and Thomson patiently explained everything we could possibly want to know about each bird, even when we asked him a thousand times over! And then the elephants. Our previous awe of the hippo dimmed in the presence of these enormous creatures. We also spotted crocodiles sun bathing on the bank but they were exceptionally quick to get back in the water as soon as we got close. I made sure not to dip my hand in the water after seeing that.

After cruising for a while we stopped by a gorgeous little sand bank where we enjoyed a few drinks. We spotted a large herd of buffaloes on the island across from us but were unable to get close as the water was too shallow for our boat.

The highlight of the boat cruise was watching the sun set in the African sky with its golden light cascading above the Zambezi River and slowly fading into the night. After these wonderful experiences all packed into one amazing afternoon, we got back to the lodge in time to freshen up and join Brent, Finola, Ricardo (who is the lodge owner) and three other guests for dinner.

Elephants say good morning
We awoke to a view of elephants from the deck right outside our room. That view towards Kanyemba Island, with elephants eating leaves from the tree was just stunning.

Activities
At breakfast we joined other guests for breakfast and discussed activities. It was either canoeing or a game walk on Kanyemba Island as fishing was not an option due to a fishing ban. But we were very disappointed to be informed that those activities were only offered at 6 o’clock in the morning. We were too late. None of the staff had informed us the night before and this was a let down, especially for me. I had really wanted to experience a walking safari. Finola did apologise for the confusion but the safari was just not possible as the guide had left.

Canoeing was still possible for the next morning just before we were to leave so for the day we settled for another boat cruise. This time Thomson took us to a clear part of the Zambezi River and watched over us as we took a dip. This was tremendously exciting and a little scary, especially after seeing all the crocodiles and elephants. But we had come to trust our guide completely and it was an unforgettable experience.

Our stay came to an end too quickly. Before we left Brent and Sizwe went out for a three hour canoeing trip. I stayed back with Finola. We went round taking pictures of the beautiful Kanyemba Lodge. We even made a trip across the island to take wild fruits for the elephants.

In conclusion…
Our visit was slightly marred when we were presented with an unexpected drinks bill. We had taken it for granted that drinks were inclusive in our winnings, but we probably should have read the fine print! I would however, suggest that in future the Kanyemba team take the time to explain to guests, exactly what is on offer during a Kanyemba stay and not assume that guests already know.

Despite the two downbeat surprises we still had a fantastic time at Kanyemba. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing break and a bit of adventure, with lots of birdlife and a chance to see some incredible wildlife.

The Buterfly Heart in a store window

A couple of months ago, The Butterfly Heart came to our attention. This is the kind of book we’d like to see more of — quality writing about Zambia and Africa’s culture, history and how we can go boldly forward into the future. We got two members of our team to write book reviews. If you want a copy of The Butterfly Heart, get it here.

Sara’s review
The Butterfly Heart — touching, enthralling and enlightening. Written by Paula Leyden, this is one of those rare books that will be at home in the hands of children, teens and adults. Though these 200 pages carry a serious message about the challenges and secrets some children are burdened with, this story is not told from a preachy moral high ground. Paula’s knowledge and experience of Africa (Kenya, Zambia and South Africa specifically) shines through in the way she has strung together this wonderful concoction of words. This book attempts to express the challenges of deep rooted cultural beliefs, versus the expectations and aspirations of a modern way of life.

I could tell you about the wonderful characters — the larger-than-life and contemplative twins, Madillo and Bul-Boo, Winifred the young girl who comes to school with ‘plastic bags tied carefully around her shoes so they didn’t get muddy’, Fred from next door with a witch for a Grandmother and of course, Ifwafwa the snake man — but I don’t want to. Instead, I’d like you to find out about them for yourself because then you’ll find out why this very special book has been endorsed by Amnesty International.

Sara Drawwater, PR and Marketing Director, www.thebestofzambia.com

Nambeye’s review
Paula Lyden manages to weave a gripping tale through a simple story about the threat to the innocence of childhood, the strong ties of friendship and a hint of magic. This book is an easy read and can be read by all ages.

The story revolves around Madillo and Bul-Boo, two very different twins, the latter much more contemplative and reserved than her outspoken and sometimes over imaginative sister. When one of their closest friends Winifred is faced with a terrifying fate, the twins call upon Ifwafwa, the local snake man to help. But their faith in Ifwafwa wavers as Winifred’s time runs out, and they come up with all sorts of ideas to help their dear friend before it is too late.

The story is made interesting and even hilarious at times, with an assortment of different characters such as Sister Leonisa, the girl’s teacher who is a religious fanatic that exaggerates every lesson to fit her warped view of life, and their neighbour Fred, who has a witch for a Grandmother.

Paula does a fine job of allowing the reader to see the story from each of the characters points of view, by expressing their thoughts and their feelings at every turn. Her knowledge of Zambia is evident in her expression of culture and lifestyle, and though it is sometimes off key, it is mostly accurate.

One of the most intriguing characters in the story is Ifwafwa, the snake man. Because the character is so important to this story, it is easy to notice the weaknesses related to him. For example, he is portrayed to have a close relationship with the children and they spend a lot of time with him. But I find this a bit unrealistic. Surely no parent would allow their young children to spend so much time with a man who always has dangerous snakes in his bag? (Though children are known to be sneaky at times). I find that Ifwafwa’s tale remains unfinished. The reader is taken on a journey into Ifwafwa’s past about his murdered Grandmother and Mother. But the story ends with no conclusion of what became a vital part of the story for me. Drum roll for a sequel? All in all, The Butterfly Heart is a worthy tale and definitely worth the read. It’s nice to see people taking inspiration from Zambia and helping to raise its profile through the written word.

Nambeye Katebe, Multi-Media Journalist, www.thebestofzambia.com

There’s more on the book here.

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There’s an increasing international interest in African fashion, and Zambia will be making its statement on the 23rd of November. Rhapsody’s in Lusaka will be hosting one of the most glamorous events of the year, labelled the “Sparkle on Ice Fashion Show”. There’ll be live music from violinist Caitlin Papier and a scrumptious three course meal provided by the Rahpsody’s restaurant team. The House of Couture will be one of the main design houses featured and will be allowing a sneak peak into its latest collection in this exciting up and coming preview.

The Sparkle on Ice Fashion Show will showcase an amazing range of talented design houses, including hand crafted jewellery designs by Candy Marandola of WSM Jewellers, Safari Wear by Charity Nyirongo, Suiting by Kaajal Vaghela and Cocktail by Nada from Nada’s Fashions.

As a featured design house, The House of Couture will showcase in three different categories: bridal, evening and occasion wear. The Best of Zambia (TBOZ) caught up with Jessica Brown Holness from the House of Couture to get an idea on what to expect from them at the show.

One of The House of Couture Creations

TBOZ: What should people expect to see from the House of Couture at the Sparkle on Ice Fashion Show?

Jessica: For this particular show, House of Couture is creating elegant designs that make a strong statement of who we are as the House of Couture, showcasing our abilities and expertise. House of Couture wants to leave an impression of absolute quality and true attention to detail.

TBOZ: What is your inspiration for the line that you have created for this particular show?

Jessica:  The name for the show, “Sparkle on Ice” was inspired by the glitter and twinkle in the jewellery that will be displayed at the show. The range of jewellery being showcased is being made to compliment the outfits by House of Couture, so we focused on jewel colours and neutral colours so that the jewels could work well with our designs. Our inspiration is drawn from current trends that will show off timeless construction techniques.

TBOZ: Who are the people that you target with your line?

Jessica: House of Couture believes in making a woman feel beautiful. We want our clients to walk into a room and feel like the most spectacular person there, regardless of age or size. The type of work we do comes with a specific price tag but we don’t want to be out of reach. Although we have a minimum charge, we work one to one with each of our clients to fit their budgets as best as we can.

TBOZ: Zambian fashion has certainly picked up over the years and we have several upcoming designers. How does the House of Couture differ from all the other design houses out there?

Jessica: What separates us as House of Couture is the external exposure, experience and level of expertise that we have developed over the years. We have worked in the fashion industry in different parts of the world before we set up the House of Couture. This is valuable experience which we offer to our clients. Currently, every element of each design we have is created exclusively by the House of Couture. We do not outsource our work to any external tailors or designers. This is because we want each outfit to represent our signature style which is quality and classic elegance.

TBOZ: Finally, what would you say is your philosophy towards fashion as the House of Couture?

Jessica: We believe that fashion should be a statement of who you are for different occasions. We appreciate and use the techniques handed down from the old which we turn into the new. It is not just about sewing a dress.

Well, we’re pretty sure that sums things up! This show will be different from other shows because it’s an event you can go to with family and friends. Enjoy a night of fashion, good food and great music. Tickets are going for K250,000 and include a scrumptious three course meal. For more about Rhapsody’s visit here.

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For one week, every year in November, millions of young people around the world come together to join a growing movement of entrepreneurial people for the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW). The Global Entrepreneurial Week is the world’s largest celebration of innovators and job creators, who launch start-ups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare. This year, 112 countries and over 10 million people are expected to participate in the Global Entrepreneurship Week from the 14th – 20th November, 2011.  During this week, Zambia will join the rest of the world in connecting young people across the country through local, national and international activities. This event will help young people to acquire the knowledge, skills and networks needed to grow innovative, sustainable enterprises that have a positive impact on their lives, their families and communities.

Last year Zambia was one of the 100 countries across the world that participated in this event under the theme “Unleashing Ideas”. Zambia’s Global Entrepreneurship Week activities attracted over 1000 participants. This is certainly an indication of the hunger in young Zambian people, to explore their potential as self-starters and innovators.

This event is particularly important for Zambia, which has over the years recorded an alarming rate of high unemployment statistics. The activities that take place during the GEW aim to inspire entrepreneurial activity as a career path, connect networks across national boundaries, mentor young entrepreneurs and engage young people in fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem. There are large-scale competitions and events to intimate networking gatherings that connect participants to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors — introducing them to new possibilities and exciting opportunities.

Dambisa Moyo, Zambian economist who inspires many

The Global Entrepreneurship Week offers many exciting awards such as fund sourcing for the best realistic business or workable business ideas, and a trip to San Francisco, California for the individual or team with the top clean tech idea in each country. All finalists will attend a VIP reception and present their pitch to a live audience of 2,500 clean technology experts, investors and enthusiasts, as well as press from around the world. A global winner will be selected and awarded at least $100,000 worth of start-up services from seasoned clean tech experts.

All are encouraged to participate, from students, to educators, to entrepreneurs and more. The general public and private business sectors are invited to take part in any activities that may contribute to promoting a culture of entrepreneurship and self reliance for a better Zambia. This event will not only benefit young entrepreneurs, but will also promote sponsoring or partnering institutions, who will have the opportunity to exhibit or promote their activities, services and programmes. There are also advertising opportunities during and prior to the events.

If you are taking part in any way, do share your experiences. Read more about the GEW here.

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Since September this year, several animals in the Lower Zambezi National Park and Chiawa Game Management Area (up to the Nyamangwe River) have died from a disease called Anthrax. There have been various mortalities recorded — Hippo (100+) Elephant (17) Baboon (2) and Kudu (7). Anthrax is a natural disease that can affect both animals and humans. All warm-blooded animals can catch the disease.

Conservation Lower Zambezi, an organisation that aims to protect the environment of the Lower Zambezi as an asset for the people of Zambia, were quick to respond to the crisis. They have partnered with the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to ensure the loss of wildlife is as minimal as possible. They are also working hard to educate the local community about the disease, and the prevention measures that need to be taken.

Several vets from the Department of Veterinary Services have visited the Lower Zambezi National Park to formulate a response to the outbreak both in regards to wildlife, and also importantly with regards to the local communities. Dr. Ian Parsons has been involved with protecting the Lion population from Anthrax. Lions were severely at risk over the past months but the outbreak has now been totally treated. This fast response has ensured that no Lions have been lost to the disease. At this stage it is likely that the Lions have developed a natural immunity to the disease due to their exposure.

Apart from affecting wildlife, Anthrax can also spread to livestock including goats but not chickens. Fish cannot catch the disease, but they can carry it in their stomachs. If animals catch Anthrax they will die a sudden and unexpected death and may show signs of bleeding from the anus, nose and/or mouth.

Unfortunately, humans can catch Anthrax from infected animals — either from handling the bodies of animals that have died from the disease, or eating infected meat from animals that have died from the disease. Symptoms will start with an itchy bump on the skin or in the mouth/throat which develops into a black sore. This is followed by headaches, muscle ache, fever, vomiting and possibly a swollen face and neck. Anyone with these symptoms is advised to report to the nearest clinic immediately as Anthrax can cause death, unless it is treated by a course of broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Conservation Lower Zambezi has played an important role in responding to this Anthrax crisis and has been instrumental in educating the people in Lower Zambezi about the outbreak. The length of the outbreak can depend on many factors including animal population densities. In this instance, the start of the rains is likely to bring the outbreak to a natural halt.

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Recently the Best of Zambia team was privileged to attend a fundraising event dubbed as “Cocktails for Conservation” which was to raise funds for Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ). CLZ is an organisation which aims to protect the environment of the Lower Zambezi, as an asset for the people of Zambia. As well as providing logistical support to the Zambia Wildlife Authority, CLZ runs environmental educational programs for the local community.

The event was held at the fabulous Roma House, in the trendy upstairs bar. Guests spilled out onto the balcony, enjoying the breeze and the view. Roma House was a true supporter of conservation, providing the canapés for the night. All the drinks were on the house thanks to Kazuma and Zambia Solar/Farmnet.

Other supporters of CLZ included  Southern Sun Ridgeway, Rapid Alluminium Limited and Juls Africa among others. The night was all about mingling while enjoying the selection of drinks, so we were pleased to meet quite a few new and interesting people.

After everyone got to chat to mix we all watched an excellent power-point presentation which explained the work that CLZ has been doing over the past few years in Lower Zambezi. The presentation was certainly not for the faint-hearted. Rather graphic images of Zambian wildlife which had been killed by poachers were shown. Poaching remains a prominent menace in Lower Zambezi. Already, in 2011 alone 15 elephant carcasses have been found in the park. The main threat is usually from commercial poachers who sell the ivory in Lusaka and onwards to Asia where it is often used for jewellery and ivory carvings. The Zambian Wildlife Authority’s lack of resources, and a community struggling with life below the poverty line are the two main challenges that CLZ strive to address.

Richard Chapple (auctioneer extraordinaire) and Julie Matthews (glamorous assistant!)

The mood was rather sombre after that presentation, but laughs were soon in the air again as Richard Chapple took up the role of auctioneer extraordinaire. He kick started the main attraction of the night, an auction of  two original paintings and two luxury trips to the Lower Zambezi. Julie Matthews was Richard’s stylish and entertaining assistant and her charm was definitely profitable. The original Ali Street painting of a family of meerkats sold for $650 while Rory McDougal, from Bedrock Africa, saw his original painting of a sable go for $800. Two nights for two at Royal Zambezi Lodge went to Viktor Vidmar from Rapid Alumiumium for $800, while a luxury five night Lower Zambezi package (which included three nights at Baines River Camp and two nights at Chiawa Camp with flights kindly donated by Proflight, was sold to Chris Liebenberg for $1,600.

CLZ managed to raise a fantastic $5,000 on the night. The night ended with a draw for two nights at the lovely Kanyemba Lodge. Everyone held their breath as one business card was drawn from a jar full of others. We were pleasantly surprised when a member of the Best of Zambia team won the trip! You’ll have to keep up to date with our blog to find out who the lucky team member was because they’ll be posting their pictures when they get back from Kanyemba!

If you would like to find out more about CLZ, visit www.conservationlowerzambezi.net You can also become a friend of CLZ on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

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Male cheetahs

Kafue National Park’s number one flagship species in the Open Africa monitoring program — according to Richard Estes, in his book ‘The Safari Companion’, a guide to watching African mammals, is, “A cat with a greyhound chassis, built for speed”.

It has relatively small feet for its body size, and tracks that show signs of its unsheathed claws. It is this that allows one to distinguish between the tracks of cheetah, hyena and wild dog in areas where these animals occur together. This can be more often than one expects, especially in the central part of the Kafue National Park.

From left to right: cheetah, hyena and wild dog tracks

Normally cheetah are associated with open plains which have clumps of grass and bushes. Here it can stalk and get close to its prey, before sprinting out at incredible speed and acceleration, to overtake and knock down a fleeing puku or impala. Despite its great speed the cheetah cannot maintain it for long distances and will give up easily if its first attempts are not successful. This is nature’s inbuilt way of conserving energy — the cheetah will not use up more energy than it can gain from the prey that it kills.

Once knocked over the prey is grabbed by the throat and choked to death. A cheetah will drag its kill into cover. Here it will open up the body cavity by licking the hair off the soft belly parts and between the hind legs — it does not eat the skin or intestines and does not have jaws powerful enough to crush bones. Like the leopard it goes for the liver and heart as these are highly nutritious. It will eat as much meat as possible from the hind quarters — up to 14 kilograms. The cheetah does not go back to an old kill so has to hunt on a more regular basis than other large carnivores like lion, leopard and hyenas. These three culprits all compete with the cheetah, steal its prey, and even kill the cheetah if given half a chance.

The home ranges of cheetah can be very large, up to 800 square kilometres on the Serengeti Plains (according to Estes). However, we have noticed that in the Kafue National Park the cheetah’s home ranges can be considerably smaller and is related to the availability and abundance of food as well as how easily it can be obtained. Competition for this food also has to be considered. If lions move in, the cheetah moves out.

Socially, cheetah are normally found only in small family groups of a mother and her cubs. The mother cheetah cares for her cubs up to the age of two to three years when they split up. Young females start breeding themselves. The males hang around together as sibling cohorts (groups) or single males on the look out for a receptive willing “lady”.

Male cheetahs on Zambian plains

Another interesting and possibly worrying fact about cheetah is, it is thought that they have a very small gene pool, especially in Southern African farming areas, where they were easily obtainable stock and hunted almost to extinction. This makes them very vulnerable to disease. Fortunately conservation efforts of captive breeding and their reintroduction to controlled game areas, together with education and habitat protection has reversed this trend. Cheetah numbers seem to be increasing in Southern and Central African regions.

In the Central part of Kafue National Park and adjacent Game Management Area, where Kaingu Lodge is situated, there are fairly big grassy plains, or dambo’s as they are called here. These are separated by areas of Miombo woodland. We have found that the cheetah here move from one dambo to the next through the woodlands, where if they find prey, they will hunt and kill it, right here in this atypical cheetah territory. I mention this because the woodlands are not normal cheetah habitat. the Miombo woodland overlaps with lion and leopard habitat. It is therefore necessary to look for all the possible clues when finding tracks, signs and kills — an interesting detective game that can be difficult to solve unless one actually catches ‘the culprit in the act’ so to speak.

Cheetah pictured in Miombo woodland

Going out with guests to walk our ‘Open Africa’ monitoring transects adds interest and spice to their experience. We look for clues and signs that will allow us to positively identify the presence of cheetah in our area. It goes without saying that although we  concentrate on the five Kafue National Park flagship species of cheetah, elephant, sable, Deffassa waterbuck and wild dog, we learn a whole lot more about the entire environment, and natures wonderful ecological web.

The Tom’s Talk series
This is the fifth article in a series about happenings in and around Kaingu Safari Lodge, Kafue National Park, Zambia.
1: Introducing Tom’s Talk from the Kafue National Park
2: Tom’s Talk — Facelifts and new adventures at Kaingu, Kafue National Park, Zambia
3: Tom’s Talk — Sable antelopes, the show-piece of Kafue National Park, Zambia
4: Tom’s Talk — Open Africa and Kaingu Safari Lodge
5: Tom’s Talk — Cheetah: the greyhound of Zambia’s vast plains

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Us and the bouquet

In September of this year I got married on the amazing island of Mauritius. Born and raised in Zambia, I married an Englishman. We always knew we’d need somewhere neutral to get wed. Here’s how we ended up in Mauritius and what I feel Zambia could learn from this small paradise island.

Firstly, Zambia needs more international representation. We found out about the possibility of getting married in Mauritius from a private company at one of the biggest UK wedding shows. No one was shouting about weddings in Africa, and certainly not weddings in Zambia. But Mauritius is everywhere — beautiful tantalizing adverts in all the right magazines and newspapers. The Indian Ocean beckons together with white sands and rich culture, thanks to a very active Mauritian tourism board.

Mauritius has customer service down to a fine art, and it’s all in the detail. We dreamed of a unique, intimate and easygoing wedding day. Somehow we got that, even though it became clear that there was a wedding every single week day during that month of September. Here was a team delivering wedding after wedding, but who were able to make every celebration extraordinarily special for each and every couple. From your very own completely dependable co-ordinator to the perfectly timed series of memorable events, this was the stuff of dreams. And this appeared to be the story across the island. Weddings everywhere! This has to be the wedding island and should be renamed the island of love.

And I have to talk about the airport experience. One word — smooth. Nothing like the long and slow moving queues together with the frustrating sluggish pace I have often experienced in Zambian airports.

My point is that just as Mauritius is the destination for exotic weddings on the beach, Zambia could be the destination of choice for luxury safari weddings. On my last check, at the click of my mouse, I found just one trustworthy looking company promoting themselves as a wedding destination in Zambia. Why? I now know what big opportunities the wedding industry offers and I’d like to see Zambia benefit. But, to succeed, we need more companies able to deliver the finer details. And these companies need the support of the Government to deliver better airports experiences, pothole free roads and well trained tourism sector staff (all things Mauritius was successful at). I repeat, from your very own completely dependable co-ordinator to the perfectly timed series of memorable events, this was the stuff of dreams. Could Zambia deliver this?

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