Engagements involving Mmadinare Trust Chairman Obuseng, Chief Mpoeng of Mmadinare and Lotsane Safaris representative Carl Knight point to a constructive path built on dialogue, community participation and shared development priorities.
Recent meetings between Mmadinare community leaders and Lotsane Safaris have brought renewed optimism that the CT27 project can move forward through greater dialogue, mutual understanding and a stronger focus on the long-term interests of participating communities.
The engagements brought together Obuseng, Chairman of the Mmadinare Trust, Chief Mpoeng of Mmadinare and Carl Knight of Lotsane Safaris. Their willingness to meet represents an encouraging step in bringing key voices closer together as the community, its traditional leadership and the project partners consider how CT27 can deliver lasting benefits.
While public discussion around the project has reflected positive views, the recent engagements further show that there is growing space for building towards success. The meetings provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships, observe community empowerment in schools, foot and mouth, traditional leaders’ community settings, concerns, and keep attention on the practical outcomes residents expect from the partnership.
Those expectations extend beyond the operation of a hunting concession. The 15-year CT27 agreement has been presented as a broader platform for conservation, employment, education, skills development, local enterprise and rural infrastructure. It is scheduled to become operational on 1 January 2027 and provides for an initial annual payment of approximately P1.65 million to the four participating Community Trusts, escalating by five percent annually to more than P35.6 million over the agreement period. This is separate from planned expenditure on infrastructure, conservation, employment, training and community initiatives.
Signs of that wider development approach are already visible in Bobirwa. Before the agreement becomes operational, Lotsane Safaris has supported refurbishment work at Semolale Primary School, restoration efforts at Gobojango Junior Secondary School following fire damage, Starlink internet connectivity at Mathathane Primary School, connectivity for customary courts, office equipment and support for traditional leadership institutions. The company has also assisted communities during the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak with over 5 tons of supplies for frontline workers.
The longer-term programme envisages an eco-conscious tented camp, local recruitment, accredited hospitality and conservation training, local procurement, anti-poaching initiatives, borehole development, road maintenance and improved access infrastructure. Lotsane Safaris has also pursued international conservation partnerships intended to attract additional expertise and funding for education, water, wildlife protection and community resilience across the CT27 landscape.
Knight has consistently said that the success of the project should ultimately be judged by tangible improvements in people’s lives. “Wildlife should create lasting opportunities for the people who live alongside it. Our vision has always been to build a partnership where conservation supports education, employment, enterprise and community development for many years to come,” he said.
The participation of Obuseng and Chief Mpoeng in the recent discussions is significant because sustainable progress will depend on trusted local leadership, accountable community institutions and regular engagement with residents. Their meeting with Knight signals a shared recognition that the way forward must be built together and that dialogue is essential to turning commitments into measurable results.
The next phase will require continued consultation, transparent reporting and close cooperation among the Community Trusts, dikgosi, residents, government institutions and Lotsane Safaris. Maintaining the positive spirit reflected in the recent meetings could help the parties address concerns early, build confidence and establish common priorities for implementation.
For the communities connected to CT27, the emerging spirit of engagement offers a hopeful sign: that differing perspectives need not prevent people from finding common ground around jobs, schools, skills, conservation and local development. The recent meetings do not mark the end of the conversation, but they point to a more constructive beginning—one in which the community’s future is shaped through participation, respect and a shared commitment to delivery.
