Safari lodge in Timbavati nature reserve, South Africa

For this safari lodge near Kruger National Park the biggest contribution to the local rural community is job creation. Our staff on average support ten people per employee. We offer skills development enhancing their ability to earn more. Staff families are offered 3 month learnerships with a certificate enabling them to apply for jobs as semi skilled workers. Our guides conduct an annual bush school demonstrating conservation to the next generation. We sponsor local Farm Ministeries who have church services for all interested staff once per week. We host HIV/Aids conferences for men on the reserve to promote AIDS education.

Our public areas are lit with paraffin lamps at night. We use gas for cooking in place of electricity. Air conditioners and heaters are available for use at guest’s discretion. Water conservation has been improved with the reversal of lawns to indigenous bushland. The gardens are enhanced with artwork in stone bone and wood in place of plants. Grey water is channelled into watering of trees and indigenous plants. Overflow water from tanks is channelled into a wetland pan for wildlife. Tin, glass and plastic are recycled and only bio degradable waste is kept in the camp.

All guests to the camp pay a R 100 conservation levy as an entrance fee which is channelled for use in the various macro conservation activities. Field guides and camp management are diligently and conscientiously compliant with the Reserve conservation rules.

We only use local contractors (we are 65 kms from the local town). We employ from the local community and buy locally made/grown produce. All items for recent renovations were purchased locally with teams of local men contracted under leadership of a local pastor builder. Fruit and vegetables are purchased locally. Curio shop artwork is purchased from the local artists. The mirrors in bathrooms are created uniquely by Renneck a local maintenance man.

In 1998 we could have closed because of a family tragedy but the family kept it going because of the dependent staff. Each staff member feeds on average 10 people. Our GM’s, Kathy and Steve Bergs are dedicated long standing mature management that are committed to the welfare of their people. We have many wonderful stories of protégées who have risen through the ranks and now excel and are role models to their peers. We are supportive of our staff improving their lives and loaning  money so that they can improve their homes and lifestyles. Kathy Bergs is in the process of writing a book of Motswari women highlighting their lives and the hardships of women in rural areas. Our hope is that this book will be sold in our curio shop. Past visitors touched by the story are already ‘sponsoring’ some of the women to help with the family expenses. We are proud of our excellent co-operation with our people and assist them in their needs and development where we can.