Camp Jabulani

The suites at Jabulani are luxurious and opulent, decorated in such a way that makes guests feel like they’re in a luxury hotel whilst recalling elements of the wild nature outside the room. A polished wooden floor runs throughout the suite, and a wooden framed king-size bed sits in the middle of the room, swathed in mosquito nettings. Beds can also be configured in a twin arrangement.

The suite is full of colour and different textiles, from striped and patterned ottomans at the foot of the bed to authentic rugs. Bright and natural light fills the suite, which flows in through floor to ceiling sliding doors. All suites include an ensuite bathroom which comes complete with a luxuriously large freestanding stone bathtub, and a walk-in shower with a view.

The private deckings of the suites continue the luxurious theme, a private heated plunge pool is available for guests to use anytime, night or day, and is surrounded by the luscious beauty of the South African bush. Enjoy a refreshing dip in the mornings, with a view over the distant riverbed and stretches of rolling grassland.

Zindoga Villa offers guests a private and exclusive experience of Jabulani luxury. An expansive and spacious private villa includes three bedrooms, an elegant and spacious lounge and dining room, luxurious ensuites, and a large private decking. The rooms all have large beds, draped in mosquito netting, and facing large windows, which fill the rooms with natural light. Exposed thatch ceilings run throughout this villa, adding authentic character and dimension.

As well as feeling luxurious, the lounge and dining area feels tastefully eclectic with a mixture of bright fabrics and textures, and a large stone fireplace perfect for gathering around on those cold evenings. All ensuite bathrooms come complete with their own free-standing bathtub,  and showers with a view.

Guests can spend their mornings or evenings enjoying some family time on the expansive decking and in the heated plunge pool, before heading out with your private ranger for a game drive, or feasting on delicious meals cooked by your private chef.

The food at Jabulani is always set to delight guests. Delicious and fresh food, created with seasonal ingredients is lovingly and creatively prepared by talented and passionate chefs. Dinner can be eaten in a range of locations, offering guests a unique dining experience each night. Enjoy a bush breakfast, a lunchtime picnic or a sundowner with canapés.

Dine under the wide starry sky, lit by candlelight around the boma, watching your food be prepared for you on a crackling open fire, or arrange for your dinner to be a private affair, either on your suites decking, or in your suite. No matter where you choose to dine, be assured that your dinner will come paired with refreshing drinks and fine wines.

Enjoy an intimate dinner in the wine cellar, where you will be served bespoke South African wines which pair beautifully with your meals, and will bring out the best flavours in both.

There are many ways in which guests can get involved with the resident elephant herd at Jabulani. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is a unique way to get up close and personal with these incredible creatures. Feed the elephants, or join a guide who will lead an elephant tracking excursion as well as educate guests on their unique personalities and how to identify individual elephants.

Guests also have the opportunity to help in field research, using the elephants’ dung to monitor their levels of stress.

Travel through the Kapama Reserve in the comfort of a 4×4 safari vehicle, and keep your eyes peeled for a pride of lions, towering giraffes, galloping impalas, spotted hyenas and many more exciting animals. There is a very real opportunity of seeing the Big 5 on one of these game drives, and your knowledgeable guide will be able to drive to all the best sighting spots of the reserve.

Immerse yourself in the sights, smells and sounds of the bush while on a guided bush walk. With a friendly and knowledgeable guide, wander through the bush on foot taking in the smaller ecosystems, such as animal prints and insect life. This is the perfect activity for guests who wish to explore the surroundings in a more intimate way.

Guests who enjoy a morning workout will be happy in the bush gym, which includes basic equipment perfect for a quick sweat. Onsite massage therapists can offer a range of treatments and stress-relieving massages in the comfort of the outdoor spa or your suite.

For a unique and wonderful experience, take to the skies and glide high over the bush in a hot air balloon at sunset. Enjoy unparalleled and uninterrupted views over the endless horizons and a unique birds-eye view of the animals below.

Soar through the Blyde River Canyon on an exciting helicopter trip. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is hard to compete with, and comes complete with a mid-air picnic.

A large part of Jabulani’s story has to do with the camp trying to find a herd of elephants for Jabulani the elephant to join. The herd which accepted Jabulani, now called the Jabulani herd, has since welcomed “another three orphaned elephants” to their ranks. The staff who look after this orphaned herd of elephants care for them through the “crucial first two to three years” at the Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development (HERD) orphanage. This herd has been so successful that there is the possibility of a second herd being created in the future.

The elephant dung from the herd can be put to use in many ways, and Jabulani has an elephant dung project which collects dung to be used in erosion trenches to help prevent damage from heavy rain, and to feed to the younger orphaned elephants, as it provides them “with much-needed nutrients for their young stomachs.” Jabulani began their own band grass plantation in 2016, and this is used as a vital part of the elephant herd’s diet, “as it provides an excellent source of protein and fibre.“

Jabulani is partnered with HERD and the local Mpisi Primary School. Supplies such as art supplies, pens, library books and computers are useful for guests to contribute towards, and Jabulani more widely helps to “develop the school’s gardens, sustainability projects and library and computer rooms.”

Jabulani has an incredibly thoughtful and eco-conscious design, the main areas are built around existing trees to minimise the necessary cutting down of any trees and to reduce their impact on the local environment. The lodge is built out of a natural resource called Leadwood, of which dead leadwood logs were gathered over some time and built into the lodge so they could “utilise the valuable natural resource without the need to cut down living vegetation.”

Even the staff living quarters have been thoughtfully and consciously built from recycled materials “from an abundant mine.” The eco-conscious attention to detail has even been extended to the design of the thatch roofs, an overhang of 1 meter stops a significant amount of energy being wasted on unnecessary air conditioning by keeping the space cool and preventing sun damage.

To help reduce their impact on the environment, Jabulani has various initiatives which help them to operate in an eco-friendly way. They collect rainwater for “various activities around the lodge” and they have a water treatment facility which makes sure the water they collect is safe for human consumption. To help conserve water, a “groundwater and surface water monitoring plan” was started to identify and try and rectify problems before they arise.

As well as initiatives to monitor water usage, Jabulani also recycle all their waste materials and create all their promotional materials using “recycled paper made of elephant dung.” Natural branches and twigs are used as elephant fodder in the stables, instead of unnatural and imported fodder.

Jabulani also has a unique and “innovative aquaponics system” which allows them to grow their own produce such as the vegetables and fruits which are used in the camp’s kitchens.