Words – Melissa Foley
Pics – African Monarch Lodges / Sijwa Project
Tucked between the waterways and wilderness of Namibia’s Zambezi Region, the Sijwa Project isn’t just a community development initiative — it’s a living, breathing blueprint for how tourism can regenerate, not just sustain.
Conceived and championed by African Monarch Lodges, Sijwa is more than an afterthought on the guest itinerary. It’s a proudly local social enterprise and circular economy project with the power to transform how lodges across Africa procure, decorate, and give, all while investing directly in the communities and ecosystems that make this region so extraordinary.
“The vision is bigger than us – we occupy a tiny space on this planet – but we know that The Sijwa Project will make a fundamental difference and will demonstrate how people and wildlife can live together in a sustainable manner” – Dusty and Tinola Rodgers
A Community-Driven Supply Chain Solution
At its core, Sijwa is about dignity, skills, and self-reliance. Here, waste becomes wonder. Used glass bottles are transformed into elegant drinking glasses and décor. Upcycled linens are hand-embroidered by local women into luxury soft furnishings. Discarded materials are creatively reimagined into retail-ready, ethically made gifts that reflect the spirit of the Caprivi.
The quality is exceptional. These are not pity-purchase curios or well-meaning but poorly made crafts. Sijwa’s products rival those found in high-end urban boutiques, and yet each one carries a story of empowerment, circularity, and conscious design.
For safari lodges and eco-retreats, Sijwa offers an extraordinary opportunity to source with purpose. Whether you’re outfitting your rooms with handmade linens, looking for meaningful guest amenities, or stocking your gift shop with items that guests will actually want to buy and feel good about purchasing, Sijwa delivers. Better still, their offerings make exceptional corporate gifts, allowing tour operators and DMCs to walk the talk of responsible tourism with beautifully packaged products that give back in real, traceable ways.
Certification-Ready, Regulation-Aligned
In a tourism landscape increasingly shaped by sustainability compliance, Sijwa’s model fits seamlessly into global frameworks like Fair Trade Tourism, Travelife, and Green Destinations. By integrating Sijwa into your operations or guest journey, you’re not just supporting local livelihoods, you’re directly addressing key criteria around community benefit, circular economy, and verified impact.
Even more critically, Sijwa’s operations speak the language of the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Green Claims Directive. As global procurement standards tighten, especially in European markets, tourism businesses must now demonstrate clear social and environmental impact across their supply chains. Sijwa provides the kind of transparent, measurable, and high-integrity sourcing partnership that helps meet these obligations without sacrificing aesthetics, quality, or guest experience.
A Model for the Future of Travel
The Sijwa Project isn’t a charity add-on or a token CSR line item. It’s a model for what’s possible when tourism reinvests in its own roots, when waste is reimagined, talent is nurtured, and business becomes a tool for regeneration. It’s also a case study in what authentic impact looks like in practice.
At a time when greenwashing is rampant and travellers are more discerning than ever, initiatives like Sijwa remind us what tourism is capable of, not just as an industry, but as a force for good.
If you’re a lodge, DMC, agent, or hospitality buyer looking for real solutions that reflect your values, don’t just pass through the Caprivi. Integrate it. Procure from it. Partner with it. Let the Sijwa Project be your compass.
Because where community thrives, so does the industry.
