While Invictus Energy is making strides toward becoming a major energy producer in Sub-Saharan Africa, the company is demonstrating that its commitment extends beyond energy exploration. With its Cabora Bassa in Muzarabani showing significant gas-condensate potential, Invictus is setting the standard for responsible environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices in the country, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
A core element of Invictus’ strategy is ensuring that its work does not come at the expense of Zimbabwe’s rich biodiversity and local communities. Through its proactive conservation and sustainability initiatives, the company has made substantial contributions to protecting wildlife, reducing deforestation, and supporting local communities, all while advancing its energy production goals.
In 2022, Invictus entered a 30-year partnership with the Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe (FCZ) to protect 300,000 hectares of indigenous forests near Hwange National Park under the NGS REDD+ project. This collaboration focuses on vital conservation efforts, including anti-poaching initiatives, fire prevention strategies, and reforestation programs, all aimed at preserving Zimbabwe’s natural heritage.
One of the most significant threats to these protected forests has been wildfires, which have devastated the region for over a decade. According to Invictus Field Operations Supervisor Garth Pritchard, the wildfires, exacerbated by ongoing drought, posed a grave risk to wildlife and the ecosystem.
“There have been constant fires every year over the last decade, and it’s devastated the forests. Local authorities didn’t have the resources to respond to those fires adequately, so they just burned out of control. We realised if we didn’t do anything, it was going to be a disaster,” said Pritchard.
To tackle this issue, Invictus, in partnership with the FCZ, embarked on an extensive fire prevention campaign, clearing roads and establishing fire breaks—referred to as fire guards in Zimbabwe—across the region. These measures proved instrumental in preventing wildfires in 2024, marking the first time in six years that the area remained fire-free.
“These forests are home to iconic African animals, such as elephants, lions, and buffalo,” Pritchard added. “Due to the fire guards and road-clearing efforts, thousands of animals were saved, and wildlife could move freely between parks and forests with better access to food and water.”
The positive impact of these initiatives extends beyond conservation. Businesses in the region have also benefited from Invictus’ efforts. Mark Butcher, Managing Director of Imvelo Safari Lodges in Hwange, praised the company’s role in preventing wildfires, emphasizing that without their intervention, thousands of animals, including elephants, would have been lost.
“We dodged a bullet in southern Hwange this year – the work Invictus did last year was instrumental in ensuring that the forests didn’t burn down again, which saved thousands of elephants,” Butcher said.
In addition to fire prevention, Invictus has tackled another pressing issue: wood poaching. Poachers target valuable trees in protected forests, contributing to deforestation and habitat destruction. Invictus’ road-clearing programs have inadvertently helped in combating poaching activities by enabling authorities to intercept illegal loggers.
“Burning these fire guards allows us to intercept these poachers and protect the forests,” Pritchard explained.
Community engagement is another cornerstone of Invictus’ conservation efforts. The company actively involves local communities in its sustainability projects, holding numerous information sessions to raise awareness about conservation and offer alternatives to the use of forest resources for firewood and grazing.
“We focus on three pillars – educate, empower, and protect – to educate the community and school students, empower communities to help, and then encourage them to continue protecting the forests,” said Invictus Country Manager Barry Meikle.
One of the long-term goals of the NGS REDD+ program is to generate measurable environmental benefits, including carbon emission reduction credits. While the development of carbon credits is a future opportunity, Meikle highlighted that Invictus is also exploring the emerging field of biodiversity credits to further enhance conservation efforts.
“Although the biodiversity credits industry is still in its infancy, I would like to see us focused on developing these credits,” Meikle said, stressing the importance of protecting ecosystems as part of the company’s long-term vision.
Looking ahead, Invictus plans to expand its sustainability initiatives by introducing projects such as community nutritional gardens, rotational grazing systems, and a recycling program aimed at addressing Zimbabwe’s plastic waste problem.
“We are trying to encourage recycling – we have a real problem with waste in Zimbabwe. We would love to clear all the roads of plastic bottles,” Meikle said.
Through its robust ESG programs, Invictus Energy has demonstrated that sustainable energy development can go hand in hand with environmental conservation. By prioritizing initiatives like anti-poaching, fire prevention, and reforestation, the company is setting a benchmark for responsible business practices in Zimbabwe’s energy sector, ensuring that both nature and the economy thrive together.
