Chobe Holdings

What Chobe Holdings does

Chobe Holdings Limited is a Botswana-based ecotourism group that owns and operates luxury safari lodges and camps across some of southern Africa's most regulated and supply-constrained wildlife zones — Chobe National Park, the Okavango Delta, and Moremi Game Reserve. The company was formed in 1992 through the merger of Chobe Game Lodge and Desert & Delta Safaris and is the only wildlife tourism entity listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange (ticker CHO). Its commercial portfolio is anchored by two trading brands — Desert & Delta Safaris and Ker & Downey Botswana — alongside the flagship Chobe Game Lodge and named camps Kanana Nyana and Sediba sa Rona.

The group generates revenue primarily through safari and lodge operations, supplemented by an integrated tour operator (Think Africa Travel), an air charter service (Safari Air), and minority interests in agricultural and aquaculture ventures (Chobe Farms, Chobe Bream) that diversify the northern Botswana rural economy. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with a high-end hospitality model targeting high-net-worth individuals, couples, and honeymooners seeking privacy, conservation-aligned experiences, and seamless logistics — the latter enabled by vertical integration from booking through on-the-ground guiding and air transfers.

The business model is complemented by a community and conservation platform housed in Chobe Impact Limited (a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in 2024), which coordinates vocational training, school support, and wildlife monitoring partnerships with organizations such as WILDCRU and the Okavango Research Institute. In 2025 the company reported revenue of BWP 638.76 million (approximately USD 47 million at recent exchange rates), up from BWP 543.1 million in 2024 and BWP 410.9 million in 2023, with BWP 138.3 million in profit and BWP 110.5 million retained for expansion.

Name

Chobe Holdings

Legal name

Chobe Holdings Limited

Website

https://chobeholdings.co.bw

Company type

Public

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Chobe Holdings is a Botswana-listed ecotourism company operating luxury safari lodges and camps across Chobe National Park, the Okavango Delta, and Moremi Game Reserve through brands Desert & Delta Safaris and Ker & Downey Botswana, serving high-net-worth travelers worldwide with integrated lodging, tour operating, and air charter services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kasane

HQ country

Botswana

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Safari and Lodge Operations: The company generates primary revenue through operating luxury safari lodges and camps across Botswana's prime wildlife destinations including the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, and Moremi Game Reserve. Revenue for 2025 was BWP 638,760 thousand.
2. Tour Operator Services: Think Africa Travel provides auxiliary safari services as a tour operator, arranging integrated travel experiences for visitors to Botswana's wildlife destinations.
3. Air Charter Operations: Safari Air provides integrated air charter services supporting safari operations, offering transportation to remote lodge locations.
4. Agricultural Ventures: Chobe Farms and Chobe Bream provide agricultural diversification contributing to local economy through alternative income sources and employment opportunities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Chobe Holdings operates luxury safari lodges and camps across Botswana's premier wildlife destinations through two brands, Desert & Delta Safaris and Ker & Downey Botswana. Its flagship property, Chobe Game Lodge, is located inside Chobe National Park, with additional luxury camps Kanana Nyana and Sediba sa Rona. The company complements its lodge operations with a wholly-owned tour operator (Think Africa Travel) and air charter service (Safari Air) to provide integrated safari experiences for high-end travelers.

Product overview

Chobe Holdings Limited operates as a unified hospitality and ecotourism platform built around its two primary safari brands—Desert & Delta Safaris and Ker & Downey Botswana—alongside its historic flagship property Chobe Game Lodge. The company provides end-to-end safari experiences through integrated auxiliary services including Think Africa Travel (tour operator) and Safari Air (air charter). The portfolio spans luxury camps and lodges across Botswana's premier wildlife destinations: Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, and Moremi Game Reserve. Named properties include Kanana Nyana (Ker & Downey Botswana) and Sediba sa Rona (Desert & Delta Safaris). Beyond hospitality, the group supports economic diversification through Chobe Farms and Chobe Bream, and maintains community impact operations via Chobe Impact Limited (established 2024).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chobe Game Lodge: Flagship lodge property inside Chobe National Park, Botswana
• Kanana Nyana
• Sediba sa Rona

Products and services

• Chobe Game Lodge Iconic luxury safari lodge located inside Chobe National Park, offering guests wildlife encounters, guided activities, and high-end accommodations in Botswana's flagship wildlife destination.
• Kanana Nyana Camp Luxury safari camp operated under the Ker & Downey Botswana brand in the Okavango Delta, providing exclusive accommodations, dining, and guided wildlife activities.
• Sediba sa Rona Camp Luxury safari camp operated under the Desert & Delta Safaris brand, offering guest-facing hospitality services in a Botswana wilderness setting.
• Think Africa Travel Wholly-owned tour operator subsidiary arranging integrated safari travel experiences for visitors to Botswana's wildlife destinations, including booking of lodges, camps, and ground logistics.
• Safari Air Charter Wholly-owned air charter service providing transportation to remote lodge and camp locations across Botswana, integrated with safari operations.
• Desert & Delta Safaris Safari brand under Chobe Holdings providing a portfolio of luxury safari experiences across Botswana's prime wildlife destinations, including the Sediba sa Rona camp.
• Ker & Downey Botswana Safari brand under Chobe Holdings providing a portfolio of luxury safari experiences, including the Kanana Nyana luxury camp in the Okavango Delta.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Palms for LifecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023In 2023, Chobe partnered with Palms for Life to sponsor ten young people from underprivileged communities for vocational training in hospitality. The program helps participants start careers in tourism and hospitality, with seven from the first cohort employed at Chobe properties.
• Travel for ImpactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChobe partners with Travel for Impact to amplify its corporate social responsibility contributions to society. Where possible, Chobe works with Travel for Impact and others to maximize impact on communities and wildlife conservation.
• WILDCRUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChobe partnered with WILDCRU, a wildlife conservation organization, to monitor and maintain the Makgadikgadi National Park fence to reduce human-wildlife conflict. The partnership also includes funding to collar four lions to monitor lion movements and behaviors.
• Rajala PeominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChobe partners with Rajala Peo, a non-profit organization, to implement conservation and environmental awareness programs in schools through the Junior Rangers and Aflatoun programmes.
• Barefoot Business (Maun Business Collective)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChobe partnered with Barefoot Business to deliver the Maun Business Collective, developing business skills and providing networking opportunities for small businesses over a six-month period.
• JLLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) has formed a strategic partnership with WTM Africa/ATIC. The global real estate services firm contributes expertise through senior executives including Wayne Godwin (CEO, JLL Africa) and Bernadine Galliver. Chobe Holdings is confirmed as a high-level speaker at this conference.
• AbaricomminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAbaricom has partnered with Chobe to support school adoption initiatives, providing resources to enhance educational outcomes in northern Botswana schools.
• Canon BotswanaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCanon Botswana has partnered with Chobe through the Adopt a School initiative, supporting the provision of learning resources, infrastructure, and extra-curricular activities.
• Okavango Research InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChobe partners with the Okavango Research Institute for educational poster development about the Okavango Delta and support for the Peter Smith University of Botswana Herbarium project.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sanctuary Retreats: Sanctuary Retreats runs premium safari camps and lodges across Botswana and East Africa, targeting the same luxury wildlife-travel customer with similar fly-in safari itineraries.
• &Beyond: Luxury safari andBeyond operates high-end lodges across Botswana (Moremi, Okavango Delta) and wider Africa, targeting the same ultra-high-net-worth customer and conservation-led positioning as Chobe Holdings.
• Singita: Singita runs ultra-luxury safari lodges and conservation programs in southern Africa; comparable premium pricing, conservation-led brand, and Big Five wildlife offerings to Chobe Game Lodge and the Okavango properties.
• Asilia Africa: Asilia Africa operates a portfolio of upscale safari camps across East and Southern Africa, including Botswana; comparable mid-to-upper luxury positioning and conservation focus.
• Wilderness Safaris: One of Africa's largest luxury safari operators with extensive camps across Botswana (including the Okavango Delta and Linyanti), competing directly with Chobe's Desert & Delta Safaris and Ker & Downey Botswana for high-end guests on similar itineraries.
• Sun Safaris: Sun Safaris is a UK-based tour operator specializing in Botswana and southern African safaris, acting as a distributor competing with Chobe's own tour-operator arm Think Africa Travel.
• Great Plains Conservation: Great Plains operates luxury tented camps and lodges across Botswana (Okavango Delta, Selinda) with a strong conservation and community-impact narrative, directly comparable to Chobe Holdings' positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Belmond (LVMH): Belmond operates luxury safari lodges (e.g., Savute, Khwai) inside Botswana's national parks as part of a broader global luxury hospitality portfolio under LVMH; competes for the same luxury traveler but with much larger parent scale.
• African Travel (The Travel Corporation): African Travel offers curated luxury safari itineraries across Africa as part of a larger global tour-operator portfolio; competes for the same end customer as Chobe but distributes third-party product rather than owning lodges.

Regional players

• Ultimate Safaris: Ultimate Safaris runs high-end mobile and lodge safaris in Namibia and neighbouring regions; similar product type but geographically focused outside Botswana, so competes indirectly for safari itineraries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chobe-holdings-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chobe Holdings