Imagine having an office in the heart of the equatorial rainforest, surrounded by endless trees and incredibly rich biodiversity, including thousands of western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants, buffaloes, leopards, birds and butterflies. For Elza Gillman CA(SA) and Anneke Lombard CA(SA), it’s all in an exciting day’s work.
Elza Gillman and Anneke Lombard became involved with the Congo Conservation Company (CCC) in a consulting capacity at first, but they realised that they would need to commit heart and soul to help realise the ambitious objective of successfully establishing eco-tourism as a sustainable industry in the Republic of Congo (RoC).
CCC was founded by Sabine Plattner, a German philanthropist with a deep connection to Congo for over a decade, as a means of helping protected areas generate economic benefits in a sustainable manner. With the rainforest areas in Congo being under immense pressure from mining, logging and poaching that threaten to destroy the biodiversity of these areas, she was invited by the Congolese government to invest in eco-tourism, which led to the establishment of the company in 2011.
Anneke has been permanently based in Congo since September 2019 but travels back home to South Africa once or twice a year. Elza spends about six months of the year in each location.
Sharing the vision of driving sustainable eco-tourism to such a unique and authentic destination, Elza joined as CFO in January 2019 and is now one of two managing directors of the company, together with Kristina Plattner, Sabine’s daughter. Anneke joined full-time as finance and systems manager in September 2019 and supports the daily operations and logistics of the head office in Brazzaville and the three camps in Odzala-Kokoua National Park (about 800 km north of Brazzaville).
Both Elza and Anneke confirm that there is never a boring day in Congo. ‘From ministerial meetings to tax controversy, dealing with supply constraints and working with limited public infrastructure, I don’t think any guest travelling to Congo truly understands the level of dedication it takes from each member of our team to make their magical experience happen. But we prioritise risk management and keep finding optimal solutions in an ever-changing environment. We often make the impossible happen and there is great satisfaction in that …’ describes Elza.
What is it like living in Congo?
‘Simply put, it is a magical place. Odzala gets under your skin; you cannot put your finger on why, but it just does. It speaks to your soul and provides a perspective of what is really important in life,’ says Anneke.
Elza adds: ‘It’s one of the best-kept secrets on the planet! A mind-blowing ecosystem of primates and other mammals, hundreds of birds, thousands of butterflies, a rainforest that just feels so alive. We couldn’t wish for a more spectacular playground … we swim in the rivers, go for runs in the park (dodging forest elephants and buffaloes …) … It’s the most incredible sense of freedom.’
Elza first started consulting in Congo in 2013, which led her to CCC five years ago.
‘It’s been an incredible and rewarding journey to become involved with a project that is establishing a new, sustainable industry in a country with high levels of poverty that can only benefit from eco-tourism,’ Elza says.
‘I’ve always associated being a CA with having endless possibilities. It is a qualification that is grounded in deep technical knowledge, as well as practical experience and the development of strong managerial and leadership capability. It is complementary to other skill sets to allow access to niche markets. In my case, I could combine being a CA with speaking French and my specialisation in taxation to address the needs of international companies setting up subsidiaries in the Republic of Congo,’ she says.
Some challenges
According to Elza, their mission is to attain profitability in a challenging context: driving sales and marketing for higher occupancy, expanding the tourism circuit for a more in-depth experience of what Congo has to offer, and having a strong handle on costs, stock and cash management.
One of the major obstacles to tourism in the RoC is that Congo is often confused with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The RoC is a small country with a population barely exceeding 5 million people, as opposed to the DRC’s 96 million. With the mighty Congo River separating the country from its more volatile and turbulent neighbour, the RoC is a peaceful and safe destination that offers a fascinating ecosystem experience. Furthermore, the troubled zones of the Eastern DRC are more than 1 500 km away from Odzala-Kokoua National Park – and therefore have no impact whatsoever on CCC’s operations.
With eco-tourism being a relatively new industry in Congo, CCC embraces the opportunity to introduce capacity-building programmes and to develop local talent. It offers in-house hospitality and chef training modules and has recently launched a forest guide training academy to provide learning and internship opportunities to local candidates.
Elza and Anneke’s next big project is the extension of the CCC circuit to the pristine Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park (NNNP). Known as the ‘Last Place on Earth’ from the Our Planet – Jungles episode, CCC is working together with architect Bill Bensley and his team to create two new eco-lodges. The first lodge, Mombongo, will be built on the banks of the majestic Sangha River. For the second lodge, Mokele, Bensley has selected a location that is 15 km away from any roads in the heart of the rainforest, with only walking or boating access. True to the pioneering heart of CCC, all we can say is: ‘Bring on the challenge!’
Elza and Anneke have been colleagues and friends for a long time. Both being CAs(SA) for over 10 years, they appreciate the trust and intuitive understanding that comes from sharing a strong technical background. ’We’re not only work buddies, but also training buddies, dive buddies, and definitely partners in crime!,’ Anneke says with a wink. Both are avid triathletes and no strangers to international Ironman races.
