An African Philanthropy Adventure
A safari is more than just a wildlife holiday. For many wealthy investors, a one-off holiday has become a life-changing experience, both for them, and for hundreds of otherwise impoverished African families.
Across Africa, a small, but growing band of discreet philanthropists, seduced by the beauty and fragility of the bush, are investing in the protection of vast tracts of vulnerable wilderness.
In the early part of the century, American Paul Tudor Jones was inspired by his love of Hemmingway novels to visit Africa. His visit ultimately led to a partnership with Singita, the luxury safari company, to protect 470,000 acres of Tanzania and Zimbabwe. In Mozambique, technology millionaire Greg Carr’s Carr Foundation has signed a 20 year deal to help restore civil-war ravaged Gorongosa, once considered Africa’s finest National Park. Further south, the Oppenheimer family invest several million dollars every year into Tswalu, South Africa’s largest privately owned game reserve, where some of the oldest rock art in the world is found. In 2012 another such project comes to fruition, with the opening of Segera Ranch in Kenya (linked to Jochen Zeitz’s Zeitz Foundation).
The resources required to fund such projects are vast. As a result, many of these philanthropists have turned to tourism, seeing it as the most sustainable means of making conservation work in the long term. Singita Grumeti Reserves hosts three of the most luxurious lodges on the continent, with the low-footfall and high spend of guests having minimal impact on the surrounding environment. At Tswalu, a similar model is followed, with over 3,000 hectares of irresistible wilderness per guest.
Despite the more rough and ready reputation of sustainable tourism, any visitor to these lodges will see that there’s no compromise on quality or comfort. Sabora Plains Camp at Grumeti Reserves has Persian rugs and rich silk drapes, while Tswalu has one of the few private runways in Africa capable of hosting a private jet. At Explore Gorongosa visitors will find their luxuries of the more rustic sort, but no less rewarding - after the frenetic pace of commercial life, the peace and simplicity are irresistible.
While a visit to Africa can be a restorative escape from the modern world, it is also possible to become involved on a longer term basis. Guests at Tswalu meet researchers and can donate to ongoing projects (or fund one of their own). At Singita Grumeti donors can contribute to the education of primary school children or field guides, or directly support the anti-poaching unit. At sister lodge Pamushana in Zimbabwe, a school can be fed for a year on $6,000, while a new classroom can be built for US$20,000.
The impact of such projects is vast. At Pamushana, 20,000 children (many of whom are under 5), are fed daily at feeding stations around the edge of the reserve. At Grumeti Reserves, 34 critically endangered black rhino are being returned to the Serengeti eco-system- the largest single translocation of black rhino ever. On the edge of Segera Ranch, five new classrooms have been built at the local school- and this long before the tourist ranch has even been opened.
The immense commitment involved with these projects, both financially, and personally, is only possible as a result of the tremendous passion that the African bush inspires. The only way to discover this is to see for yourself - all of these projects provide some of the best safari experiences on the continent and the staff’s enthusiasm for their work is contagious.
