Roar Africa & Xigera women's empowerment retreat

To attend a ROAR AFRICA Women’s Empowerment Retreat is to undertake an inspiring journey of self-discovery and realisation designed to recognise female leaders that have shattered both western and tribal glass ceilings. Working tirelessly to pioneer lasting change throughout the safari industry, ROAR AFRICA are determined to manifest the vision statement of their Founder & CEO, Deborah Calmeyer, that ‘if African women rise, wildlife will thrive.’ The impact of these retreats doesn’t just ripple, it roars.

Since the inaugural Women’s Empowerment Retreat in South Africa in 2019, international brigades of female powerhouses have gathered across the continent in select destinations, including South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. Next year, we’re thrilled to say that the retreat is all set to take place right here at Xigera.

Guest speakers at the retreat will include female African thought leaders sharing their success stories and careers in traditionally male-dominated arenas, such as conservation, aviation, hospitality, and various commercial industries. Guests will meet the pioneers at the forefront of the battle to protect Botswana’s unique wilderness, including Rebecca Klein, founder of Cheetah Conservation Botswana, Bokani Mathape, President of Women in Tourism, and Dr Anna Songhurst, the founder of Ecoexist Trust, as well as other surprise guests of incredible influence. These are women who challenge the status quo every day, changemakers who are rewriting the narrative and acting as a catalyst for positive change.

When guests aren’t being inspired by the array of speakers booked for this five-day experience, they will have the unique opportunity to explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the Okavango Delta, enjoying exhilarating game drives, mokoro safaris, and helicopter flights across the landscapes.

Thanks to the vision of our women speakers and the generosity of our guests during previous retreats, ROAR AFRICA has changed lives, creating educational opportunities, scholarships, documentary films, exchange programmes, and funding for critical conservation and women’s health initiatives. 

Whilst there’s a need to improve gender equality in the tourism industry worldwide, nowhere is this need more urgent than in Africa, where patriarchal traditions and the hangover of colonialism can seem immutable. The women recognised at the Women’s Empowerment Retreats are true pioneers who work both on the ground in Africa and all around the world to elevate the voices of women. ROAR AFRICA’s Women’s Empowerment Retreats aim to help to turn the tide, amplifying under-represented voices and shaping a new collective consciousness, but also uplifting local women, changing lives, and brokering new lifelong friendships. The value of these things is immeasurable. 

The interest in ROAR AFRICA's Women’s Empowerment Retreat has grown exponentially since the inaugural trip in 2021. The 2025 retreat at Xigera is currently sold out. However, we are running an active waiting list. Those on the list are offered first choice should a space become available. To express interest in the Women’s Empowerment Retreats and find out more about the 2025 trip, please visit our website or email us.  

“We work in an industry where we create dreams and shatter glass ceilings. Against all odds, against all perceptions, against all stereotypes, women have achieved what was thought to be impossible.” – Deborah Calmeyer, Founder & CEO, ROAR AFRICA