The Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa) has invested about Sh19.6 billion in 35 development projects over the past five years, as it seeks to improve livelihoods and strengthen community support for conservation.
Implemented through Serengeti National Park (Senapa), the projects in 32 villages of Serengeti District, Mara Region, cover education, healthcare, water supply, roads and other social services, with residents saying the investment has improved living conditions and strengthened relations between the park and neighbouring communities.
Speaking to journalists on October 17, 2026, Serengeti District Commissioner Angelina Marco said communities were benefiting from both development projects and economic activities associated with tourism.
She said the opportunities were expected to grow with the introduction of new tourism products, including a golf course recently developed in the Fort Ikoma area on the edge of the park.
‘Residents will benefit from direct and indirect employment, transport services for tourists, food services, accommodation and cultural tourism, among other activities,’ she said.
Ms Marco said the facility would also help to develop local golfing talent, adding that it was intended for both tourists and residents, with potential benefits for community health and economic wellbeing.
She said development projects and tourism-related opportunities had contributed to reducing poaching, although she did not provide current statistics to quantify the decline.
An officer in Senapa’s Community Relations Unit, Abeid Mwesigwa, said collaboration with neighbouring communities was central to the park’s conservation efforts.
‘Without good relations, there is no conservation, and these citizens are the main guardians of our park,’ he said, adding that community involvement had helped protect wildlife and sustain conservation efforts.
Residents of villages bordering the park said improvements in roads, healthcare, education, water supply and administrative services had demonstrated the benefits of maintaining good relations with Senapa.
The chairman of Park Nyigoto Village, Mr Mtiro Manyeresa, said the benefits had encouraged residents to take greater responsibility for conservation.
‘We have now decided to become conservationists because we can see the benefits with our own eyes. We have chosen to protect the resource because it benefits us, and this commitment is also driven by the good relations between the park and the community,’ he said.
Senior Ecosystem Health Researcher Dr Robert Fyumagwa said there was still a need to diversify tourism products to attract more visitors and maintain Serengeti National Park’s competitiveness in Africa and globally.
He said the golf course could enhance the park’s appeal and strengthen the tourism and conservation value chain, creating additional benefits for local communities and the government.