Okavango Jakotsha Community Trust is registered and Accountable Legal entity registered with the register of Deeds office on the 31st August 1999 under the Deeds number MA 199/99 protocol 307 to represent the communities of Etsha 13, Etsha 6, Etsha 1, Jao and Ikoga and associated homesteads under the jurisdiction of these village’s kgotlas.

The Trust establishment was in accordance with the requirements of the Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) policy and granted the NG24 Concession for a period of 15 years – an agreement between the government through Tawana Land Board and Okavango Jakotsha Community Trust with main objectives of promoting social and economic development by conserving the biodiversity of the natural resources found in Controlled Hunting Area NG24 for the benefits of the communities of the Trust member villages. It is envisaged that over 1800 people are beneficiaries of the Trust’s resources and equitably shared among members of the communities.

Okavango Jakotsha Community Trust is owned by the general members of the Trust and is run by the Board of Trustees who are holding offices in terms of the Deed and its daily activities are run and coordinated by Trust Manager, financial personnel, community escort and record keepers, who record all entrance fees and other particulars. The entire community of the underlying villages in the area makes up the general members of the trust.

Outside of the income generated by its tourism activities, the Trust pays annual dividends to its members, assists in the day-to-day occurrences that come with living in such a remote wilderness area by transporting the sick and elderly to Gumare and Maun when needed, as well as assisting families during extreme times such as funerals.

The trust owns ploughing equipment – a Tractor, Planter, Harrow, Disc Harrow, and have been participating in the ‘Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agricultural Development’ (ISPAAD) since 2020. ISPAAD provides farm machinery and associated implements to arable farmers to expedite and improve timeliness of tillage operations. The Trust therefore assists the local farmers of Etsha 13, Etsha 6, Etsha 1, Jao and Ikoga villages and associated homesteads through this programme