We're not afraid to say it. A sustainable safari is about more than sending crayons to a local creche or indulging in community visits that border on poverty porn. There. Has the world stopped turning? We doubt it. You might well be cringing (we're sorry - have some wine) but the sad truth is that sometimes what's advertised on the packet doesn't really translate to what's actually inside it, if you get our drift. 

The truth of the matter is that your safari, and tourism in general, has hidden superpowers with untold potential. It can help stimulate micro-economies in far-flung remote settlements; provide real-world training and experience that form the foundation of lasting careers; spur entrepreneurs into creating life-changing businesses; empower women to take charge of their lives and their communities... All while reducing the impact on the planet beneath our feet and teaching all those involved in it the value of protecting wilderness areas and the wild fauna and flora that call them home.

Want to find out more? Good, because we're about to put on our earnest faces and explain exactly what sustainabily is and who's doing it REALLY well in the world of safari. Not because they have to, but because it's part of their own DNA and their business model. Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin...

Sustainability, schmustainability... 

It's become something of a turn-off, hasn't it? Thanks to the often-clumsy prose of a myriad slick marketers, the notion of travelling responsibly is decidedly blah, blah, blah! Add to the mix St Greta of Thunberg frowning down on you if you want to fly on a big, bad aeroplane and the prospect of luxury guilt and things can look decidedly grim. But do not fear, dear travellers, because we are here - and in our usual, down to Earth way of doing things, we take "meh" and turn it into "YEAH"!

Sustainability is not a dirty word. It's just a misunderstood one. And it's as much about people as it is about planet. That's right, sustainable safaris may have "green" components and have significantly reduced impacts on fragile environments and ecosystems, but their core purpose is very much human-centric. 

People first...

Respect for people is the rock on which real sustainable brands are built. This means respecting their culture, where they come from, their traditions and belief systems. It means giving them a say in the things that directly affect them, whether they're employees or members of local communities in the areas in which you operate. It means paying them more than minimum wage and empowering them to provide for those who depend on them. It means giving them the opportunity to advance in their chosen career paths and open up possibilities for their future, providing training and skills development. It means identifying potential and acting upon it. And it means becoming part of something larger than your business and identifying ways in which what you are doing can add value to lives and livelihoods, benefitting everyone involved.

We make every effort to work with safari products that have this "people first" approach, because without people, any hope of conservation becomes just conversation. It's people who make a difference to protecting Africa's wilderness areas and saving iconic species. 

Giving back

Many of these amazing safari companies are doing amazing things when it comes to kickstarting programmes and projects that are changing and empowering people and communities, helping them to benefit directly from tourism both physically (through direct donations) and practically (through beneficiation processes). Some even have their own foundations and trusts, established to drive these intiatives forward. 

From superstar luxury brands like Singita, Asilia, Wilderness and Great Plains to small, independent lodges like Emboo River Camp in Kenya's Masai Mara; Elephant Watch Camp in Kenya's Samburu National Reserve; Lale's Camp in Ethiopia; Chem Chem in Tanzania and Three Tree Lodge in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal Battlefields region, we know our onions when it comes to the products that walk the walk as well as talk the talk. 

We go the extra mile (and kilometre, because it's longer) to make sure we prioritise the safari brands we know are doing it right. Which leaves you free to relax and know that your trip is doing the necessary when it comes to leaving a lasting legacy and that spending your hard-earned moolah is going to be worthwhile in more ways than just collecting amazing memories.

It's all about authenticity

The A word. Authentic. It means genuine. And that's what every safari experience should be, immersing you in the real Africa - giving you truthful, honest connections with all of the things that make Africa, her wilderness regions, her people and her history so special. We don't do fake, like, ever. We only do authentic and work with authentic safari camps and lodges that also eschew the safari sausage factory and dish up proper Africa for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between. 

That extends to activities and things like "cultural interactions". We avoid the tendency towards poverty porn like the plague and are very wary about encouraging our guests to visit local schools and creches where children are "encouraged" to "perform" on cue. We prefer to arrange more authentic visits to communities, where a local guide shows you around on foot, introduces you to what life is really like in rural Africa and explains to you first-hand the challenges of day-to-day existence in some the continent's most far-flung villages and townships. No show. No fuss. No frills. Just real.

The same can be said for visits to wildlife sanctuaries and rehabilitation facilities, many of which are (sadly) anything but ethical. We stick to the basics when it comes to these things, checking that they are not breeding animals, that everything is hands-off (no petting, touching, interacting, selfie opportunities or walking, etc) and that a bona-fide conservation or ecological organisation is involved at some level (credentials are king). We do the research so you can be confident that wherever you go with us, you are getting real Africa. Not a pastiche presented as reality.

At the end of the day, we don't expect you all to be sustainability experts but it's perfectly fine for you to expect us to be. It's part of what we do, and we're proud of it. We want everything you will see on a Zafaris safari to be here for the next generation and beyond and we want to leave the world a bit better than we found it. So there.

Text: Sharon Gilbert-Rivett