Sustainable Safari Destinations in Africa
Looking for a unique experience in Africa? We have the lowdown on five sustainable safari destinations in Africa.
Rhinos, lions, elephants, giraffes, and buffalo are just a few of the incredible animals that may be seen on an African safari. Africa, with its vast number of national parks, game reserves, and conservation areas, promises an amazing wilderness experience.
However, because of rising human populations and demand for farmland and resources, Africa’s wild landscapes and wildlife are experiencing ever-increasing conservation issues, which are worsened by poaching. There are, however, some outstanding examples of reserves that are producing conservation success stories—often in collaboration with commercial lodges, local communities, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
On the bright side, many people are dedicated to giving back, whether it’s through wildlife conservation programs, land rehabilitation, community engagement, or the use of solar electricity and recycled water. With this round-up of the greatest eco-friendly safari trips in Africa, you can immerse yourself in this essential conservation activity while witnessing the Big Five.
Mara Naboisho Conservancy
Sustainable Safari Destinations in Africa
© All rights reserved | Image credit: Mara Naboisho Conservancy
Mara Naboisho is a pioneering example of tourism that benefits both the environment and the people. The Conservancy is made up of property leased from 500 Maasai landowners, and conservancy fees help to create a sustainable livelihood for the local population while also assuring the conservation of species in this important corridor of the Mara eco-system. Naboisho restricts the number of people allowed to enter to prevent congestion on roads and allow wildlife to flourish. Research indicates that Naboisho boasts one of Africa’s greatest lion concentrations.
Visitors to Mara Naboisho enjoy amazing wildlife encounters—day and night—thanks to its high concentration of species and low tourism density. The Conservancy is home to a large number of big cats, as well as elephants, giraffes, wildebeests, and other animals.
Damaraland Camp
Sustainable Safari Destinations in Africa
© All rights reserved | Image credit: Damaraland Camp
Damaraland Camp is located in Namibia’s Huab River Valley, one of the country’s most spectacular wilderness locations, with harsh plains and ancient mountains—a hard land full of geological wonders and unique desert-adapted animals. Since its inception in 1996, Damaraland Camp has been owned and operated by the Torra Conservancy in collaboration with Wilderness Safaris. This successful collaborative effort laid the groundwork for Namibia’s ground-breaking community-conservancy concept, which benefits rural people by allowing them to live alongside wildlife. As a result, elephant, black rhino, lion, and other endangered species populations have increased dramatically within the protected area.
Singita Grumeti Reserve
Sustainable Safari Destinations in Africa
© All rights reserved | Image credit: Singita Grumeti Reserve
The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem includes the Singita Grumeti Reserve, which is next to the Serengeti National Park. The reserve was established in 1994 by the Tanzanian government to protect the annual Wildebeest Migration route. The Grumeti Fund, a non-profit organization that conducts essential animal conservation and community development initiatives, was given the right to manage the reserve in 2002. Singita joined the Grumeti Fund as a conservation partner in 2006, and some of their joint achievements include the recovery of species such as buffalo, wildebeest, and elephants in the region, as well as the largest-ever translocation and reintroduction of critically endangered eastern black rhinos.
Shambala Private Game Reserve
Sustainable Safari Destinations in Africa
© All rights reserved | Image credit: Shambala Private Game Reserve
Shambala Private Game Reserve spans 10,000 hectares in the Limpopo Province, a mere two-and-a-half-hour drive or 45-minute helicopter ride from Johannesburg. The magnificent African bushveld is home to a variety of remarkable flora and fauna, including The Big Five, and is set at the foot of the picturesque, malaria-free Waterberg mountains region.
The main aim of Shambala Private Game Reserve is to keep the natural environment as healthy as possible for the resident wildlife species. The African elephant, the world’s largest land animal, is threatened by poaching, habitat destruction, and human-wildlife conflict, and the reserve’s rehabilitation programs are meant to help elephants, that are used for elephant-back safaris, return to the wild successfully. The camp also serves as much food as possible that is grown on-site in its ecological gardens.
Singita Kwitonda Lodge
Sustainable Safari Destinations in Africa
© All rights reserved | Image credit: Singita Kwitonda Lodge
The exquisite Singita Kwitonda Lodge is located on the outskirts of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and was built with the highest regard for its magnificent setting. On-site, there is a Conservation Room, which is an interactive instructional space run by professional conservationists. It gives visitors a unique perspective of endangered mountain gorillas and their natural surroundings.
The on-site Akarabo Nursery is one of Kwitonda’s biggest conservation success stories. The nursery has cultivated and grown over 60 000 saplings to help sustain the natural habitat of endangered mountain gorillas. It was established to help reforest, repair, and maintain previously forested regions that were removed for agriculture. About 250 000 tree saplings were purchased from local community nurseries and replanted across the site within a year of Kwitonda Lodge’s launch in 2019.
