Imire: Rhino & Wildlife Conservancy

What Imire: Rhino & Wildlife Conservancy does

Imire: Rhino & Wildlife Conservancy is a family-owned, non-profit wildlife conservancy located in the Hwedza district of eastern Zimbabwe, approximately 120km (90 minutes) from Harare. The 10,000-acre property, originally a tobacco and cattle farm established in 1948 and converted to a wildlife conservancy in 1972, was designated an Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ) by the Zimbabwean government in 1987 and granted custodianship of seven orphaned black rhinos — the founding event of a rhino breeding programme that has since produced 23 births and released 12 animals to national parks. Imire currently houses ten black rhinos, eight white rhinos (including four rescued in 2023 following a poaching incident elsewhere), three orphaned elephants, and over 152 recorded bird species, and serves as a release site for a cheetah rewilding programme operated in partnership with The Aspinall Foundation. The conservancy is operated through three core revenue streams: fee-based wildlife volunteer programmes priced at $765 per week, a structured 28-day wildlife conservation course at Chiwawe Wilderness Camp with Wilderness First Aid certification, and safari lodge stays at Sable Lodge and Imire Lodge catering to international tourists. A fourth donation stream, supplemented by partnerships with organisations such as Extremus K9 (anti-poaching dog Murwi), VAWZ (rabies vaccination campaigns), Zimbabwe Gecko Society (vocational centre), and Padding Africa (sanitary pad production), funds operations including community development programmes spanning a maternity clinic, vocational centre, women's support groups, and school support. Customers span individual international safari tourists, gap-year students, conservation course participants, and family volunteer groups, with distribution handled entirely through direct channels — website booking forms, email enquiries, and walk-in visits 90 minutes from Harare via Mutare Road. Management is family-led under the Travers family, with grandson Reilly Travers serving as Director and Andries Scholtz as Conservancy Manager; the leadership team holds specialist credentials including FGASA guide qualifications and a rare Zimbabwean drugs licence for wildlife darting operations.

Name

Imire: Rhino & Wildlife Conservancy

Legal name

Imire: Rhino & Wildlife Conservation

Website

https://imire.co.zw

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Imire is a family-owned, non-profit wildlife conservancy in eastern Zimbabwe offering paid wildlife volunteer programmes, a 28-day conservation course, and safari lodge stays, while operating a renowned black rhino breeding programme and community development projects in partnership with international charities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation & Safari Tourism

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (BPAGAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

National Park & Conservancy Lodges (THAGAIAI), Wildlife & Animal Care Volunteering (EDAIAGAE), Rainforest, Jungle & Canopy Experiences (THAJAIAE), Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation services
• Conservation volunteer programs
• Safari lodge accommodation
• Wildlife conservation courses
• Anti-poaching operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Wedza (Hwedza)

HQ country

Zimbabwe

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Wildlife Volunteer Programme: Fee-based volunteer programmes where participants pay to join rhino conservation, elephant monitoring, and cheetah observation activities. Programmes range from 1-4 weeks with pricing from $765 per week.
2. Wildlife Conservation Course: 28-day intensive wildlife conservation course with classroom learning and field practicals, including Wilderness First Aid certification. Participants pay course fees for accommodation, meals, training, and certificates.
3. Safari Lodge Stays: Revenue from day trips, overnight stays, and longer lodge accommodations at Sable Lodge, offering world-class food and hospitality for tourists visiting the conservancy.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Relies on donations from communities, businesses, and private individuals worldwide to fund wildlife security, anti-poaching operations, community projects, and conservancy maintenance. Has JustGiving campaigns and Amazon wishlists.
5. Community Support Projects: Various grassroots development projects including vocational training, women's support groups, school support, and maternal health facilities that may receive grant funding and donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Imire is a wildlife conservancy in Zimbabwe that runs a safari lodge, paid wildlife conservation volunteer programmes, a 4-week Wildlife Conservation Course, and community projects, all supporting its core conservation work of black rhino breeding, cheetah rewilding, elephant care, and anti-poaching operations. Guests and volunteers pay to participate in and learn from hands-on conservation activities, with revenue and donations funding wildlife protection and rural community development around Wedza.

Product overview

Imire: Rhino & Wildlife Conservancy is a single unified conservancy offering not a platform product but a portfolio of integrated wildlife experiences and conservation programs. The core offerings include Imire Lodge for safari visits, structured volunteer programs (Rhino & Elephant Conservation, Horse-Riding, and Family Volunteering), and a 4-Week Wildlife Conservation Course at Chiwawe Wilderness Camp. These visitor and volunteer programs are supported by and contribute to Imire's conservation initiatives: the Black Rhino Breeding & Release Programme, Cheetah Rewilding Programme (in partnership with The Aspinall Foundation), Anti-Poaching Unit with K9 dogs, and Elephant Conservation. The conservancy also runs Community Development Programs including education support, women's empowerment, and healthcare initiatives. Together, these programs generate funding and volunteer support for wildlife protection while providing educational and transformative travel experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Imire Lodge Safari Experience

Quantifiable outcome

• 23 rhinos born at Imire since 1987
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Aspinall FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021UK charity partnership for cheetah rewilding in Zimbabwe. Phase 1 involved identifying and preparing two captive-bred cheetah brothers (Kumbe and Jabari) from Parc Safari in Canada. Phase 2 focused on rewilding the brothers at Imire to contribute to Zimbabwe's cheetah population genetic diversity. Phase 3 successfully relocated cheetahs to a larger conservancy with competitor predators in September 2023. The Aspinall Foundation believes animals belong in the wild and is at the forefront of rewilding captive animals to protected wilderness areas.
• VAWZ (Veterinarians For Animal Welfare Zimbabwe)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Annual rabies vaccination and sterilization campaign for community dogs. In August 2018, VAWZ vaccinated 1086 dogs and sterilized 68 animals in Wedza and surrounding districts. Campaign addresses rabies epidemic in rural Zimbabwe and prevents unnecessary breeding of stray dogs.
• Padding AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Charity partnership initiated by past Imire volunteer for sanitary pad production. Numwa Mothers Support Group makes reusable sanitary pads distributed across Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique. Packs cost $5 and goal is to supply every girl in the area. Partnership brings funding into community and assists thousands of girls throughout the region.
• Zimbabwe Gecko SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Canadian volunteer organization that assisted in building the Imire Community Vocational Centre. Provided generous support including machinery, supplies, and resources for carpentry and craft skill development opportunities for local men and women. Facilitated construction of fully functioning vocational centre.
• Extremus K9coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017UK-based specialist K9 training organization providing highly trained Dutch Shepherd dog Murwi for anti-poaching and tracking operations. Phase 1 training carried out in UK at Extremus K9 base. Phase 2 deployment to Imire in 2018. Murwi successfully tracked and apprehended a poacher in her first live operation, capable of detecting 6+ hour old spore and committing to 10km+ tracks including night operations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• &Beyond: Luxury safari and conservation company with lodges across Africa including Zimbabwe. Operates a similar lodge-plus-conservation model with strong community integration, but at much larger multi-property scale.
• Singita: Premium African safari and conservation brand operating luxury lodges across multiple countries. Comparable as a high-end safari operator with strong conservation credentials and lodge-based wildlife experiences, though at much larger scale and predominantly in South Africa/Tanzania.
• African Parks: Network managing 20+ protected areas across Africa with government partnerships. Comparable in conservation focus and IPZ-equivalent operating model, though operates at much larger institutional scale across multiple countries.
• Wilderness Safaris: Largest luxury safari operator in Zimbabwe and Botswana, operating multiple high-end camps and conservation partnerships. Directly comparable as a southern African safari lodge operator with conservation focus, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Others

• The Aspinall Foundation: UK charity partner of Imire, focused on rewilding captive animals to protected wilderness areas. Indirectly comparable as a conservation partner that helps drive cheetah population restoration; not a direct competitor but a relevant ecosystem player.

Regional players

• Hwange National Park Operators: Government and private operators managing wildlife areas in Zimbabwe. Relevant as regional peers given shared ecosystem and tourism market in Zimbabwe, though they are a government entity rather than a private conservancy.

Emerging players

• Cheetah Conservation Fund: Namibia-based cheetah research and conservation organization with volunteer programs and community engagement. Comparable in species-specific conservation focus and volunteer-based model, though focused on cheetahs rather than rhinos.

Direct peers

• Ol Pejeta Conservancy: Kenya-based conservancy hosting the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, with lodge stays, volunteer programs, and community engagement. Comparable in operating model (endangered species conservation + eco-tourism + community), though larger and more diversified.
• Malilangwe Trust: Zimbabwe-based wildlife conservancy managing a large protected area with rhino conservation, lodge operations, and community programs. Highly comparable in geography, mission, and integrated safari-conservation model.
• Lewa Wildlife Conservancy: Kenya-based rhino and wildlife conservancy with similar operating model: designated rhino sanctuary, lodge accommodation, volunteer programs, and community development. Highly comparable in scope and mission focus, though located in East Africa (Kenya) rather than Southern Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/imire.zimbabwe
• Instagraminstagram.com/imire_zimbabwe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imire-rhino-wildlife-conservation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Imire: Rhino & Wildlife Conservancy