The Shiwa Ngandu Legacy

Mark Harvey is the grandson of Stewart Gore-Brown, the eccentric gentleman who built Shiwa Ngandu, an English manor in the middle of the African Bush.

Mark owns and runs the Kapishya Hot Springs Lodge and Campground where we spent two nights on our recent trip up north. Mark is a gracious and knowledgeable host and went out of his way to make our stay a memorable experience. Since January is the off-season for tourism, we were the only guests at Kapishya on our second night. Mark and his wife Mel hosted us for dinner in the Lodge’s dining hall and entertained us with stories of their life in Zambia and their experiences in running Kapishya.

Mark and his two brothers and a sister all grew up living in the great house at Shiwa Ngandu. Mark’s mother, the daughter of Stewart Gore-Brown, and her husband Charles ran the estate until their mysterious murder in 1992. It was an unusual childhood in many ways, as Mark tells of constant visitors who came to see Shiwa Ngandu and to visit his grandfather. Kapishya, 18 kilometers down the road from Shiwa, was originally built as a weekend retreat so that the Harvey family could get away from all the activity at the manor.

Mark’s brother Charlie now lives at Shiwa and works in partnership with Mark. The farming and ranching operation at Shiwa provides most of the meat for Kapishya’s lodge. Both Mark and Charlie offer safari guide services in the nearby North Luangwa Game Park.

An entire community thrives in the area around Shiwa and Kapishya. A hospital and a school are just down the road from the main house. Fees paid by visitors to tour the house go directly to fund the school and hospital. Mark and Charlie also make sure that over 70 orphans are fed three meals a day at the school. Many of their employees are the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of people who worked for Stewart Gore-Brown. A fascinating legacy continues.