Conservation

The wooden Confluence Viewing Deck at Mapungubwe National Park overlooks the floodplains of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers, where three countries meet. Here South Africa’s northern border (in Limpopo Province) touches Botswana and Zimbabwe. Several look-out platforms along the treetop boardwalk, showcase the area’s spectacular scenery. In the distance, ancient sandstone formations jut out from savannah grasslands and in the foreground luscious riverine forests outline the water’s edge.

Lebo's Soweto Backpackers, located at the heart of South Africa’s largest township, values sustainability and invites guests to become part of this ethos. Visitors have the opportunity to mingle with locals around a crackling fire and contribute meaningfully to the local economy and community development. Long-term visitors are given the opportunity to contribute to the township through various volunteering opportunities. They can help organise after-school activities and engage children and youth in constructive, meaningful spare time. These efforts are coordinated with Hero Holidays, an organisation promoting responsible tourism. In Lebo's open-air kitchen, guests can participate in an authentic cooking experience, preparing traditional Sowetan meals using fresh ingredients from the garden and local markets. This endeavour not only upholds the concept of 'farm to table', but also supports local producers.

The family-owned and -run Amakhala Safari Lodge was established on three pillars – conservation, community, and to be financially viable well into the future, so as to uphold its ongoing work in sustainable tourism. Nestled within the 8 000-hectare Amakhala Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape Province, the lodge is split among eight other owner-managed tourism properties.

A short 75-minute drive from O. R. Tambo International Airport and Johannesburg, within the greater metropolitan area of Gauteng Province, you’ll find an unexpected surprise – Dinokeng Game Reserve.

Fynbos is a unique and diverse wildflower biome boasting more than 9,000 plant species indigenous to South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region. Often regarded as the greatest natural garden on Earth for its unsurpassed floral diversity, this remarkable slice of South African heaven is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for a reason. This is exactly why the preservation of this unique ecosystem is vital. Initiatives promoting sustainable tourism within the region play a crucial role in keeping it in balance.

If you're seeking wide-open spaces and a sense of solitude on your South African adventure, there’s no better place than the Northern Cape – the country’s largest and least densely populated province. Home to the indigenous San people, the Northern Cape showcases stunning landscapes renowned for their striking red sand dunes and unique desert scenery found nowhere else in the country.

Nestled deep within South Africa, on the cusp of the Drakensberg mountains, lies a national park that has earned renown with local and international tourists alike for its spectacular landscapes and golden sunsets. Located in the Free State province and near the border of the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, Golden Gate Highlands National Park offers an enticing mix of outdoor activities, wildlife viewing, cultural education, and comfortable, sustainability-oriented accommodation.

Spanning close to 2 million hectares, the Kruger National Park is renowned for its awe-inspiring biodiversity, wildlife encounters and splendid landscapes, which can all be explored on a game drive or a walking safari in this world-famous Big Five national park.