Exactly 20 years ago, the Canyon Lodge received its first guests. A few months earlier a group of businessmen with a love for nature in southern Namibia acquired several farms at the Fish River Canyon and established the Gondwana Canyon Park. The group decided to finance nature conservation with income generated by the hospitality business. The Canyon Lodge opened its doors on 14 November 1996 and became the beginning of Gondwana’s success story.

By now the Gondwana Collection consists of fifteen accommodation establishments all over the country. Today, this lodge group has 600 employees and has received over two million guests over the last two decades. 

From the beginning, the founding member and managing director, Mannfred Goldbeck, has been in the driver’s seat, steering the company in innovative new directions with his energy, warmth and vision. On his own request, he has stepped back as Managing Director and in future will serve as the Director of Marketing, Environment and Corporate Brand Management. The selection process to appoint a new Managing Director will be completed in the coming weeks.