The Co-founder and Chairman of Tongabezi, Ben Parker, has died after a battle with cancer.
Parker came to Africa on a university holiday and had a passion for Zambia. Together with Will Ruck Keene, he started Tongabezi with only four tents and a few bucket showers, but subsequently grew the property into one of Condé Nast’s top 20 hotels in the world.
He was said to have changed the face of Zambian tourism through his passion for sustainability and uplifting communities and was helped by his wife, Vanessa Parker, who has run the Tongabezi Trust School on a volunteer basis for the last 23 years.
The legacy of Tongabezi, however, will continue with Rudy Boribon – who has been with the property for 12 years – at the helm. Parker’s brother, Stephen – a director of Tongabezi for the past 16 years – will be taking over the board.
