Londolozi Founders Camp

Nestled in among shady Ebony and Matumi trees sit the 10 luxury chalets of Founders Camp. With connected rooms, there is an option for families to be able to stay together, and a superior chalet is also available which is perfect for honeymooning couples, offering guests the very height of luxury.

The chalets are modern and chic with bright light reflecting off light painted walls, which flows in from the wide windows. Exposed thatch ceilings add dimension and authentic safari character to the modern interior. Large comfortable beds sit in the middle of the rooms, covered in crisp white bed linen and plush pillows.

All rooms come with an ensuite bathroom, which includes double hand basins, an indoor shower and a grand bathtub, which sits with a view of the luscious surrounding trees through a vast window. Guests will also have the choice of an outside shower where they can refresh after a long day in the heart of nature.

A decking area is a place for guests to unwind after a long day, and guests of the superior suite have the opportunity of taking a dip in their private plunge pool or receiving a massage in their private Sala area.

Guests can make their way to the main deck for mealtimes. This deck is open-sided which affords sweeping views across the top of the luscious bush, where guests will be able to see for miles. Enjoy a relaxing dinner at sunset, when the tables are romantically lit by lantern light.

Here delicious and fresh food is served, made in a Pan-African cuisine which is prepared with local ingredients either from Londolozi’s own farm or local farms.

Travel through the Londolozi Private Game Reserve and marvel at the amazing animals which you will see. In the care of a knowledgeable, professional, and passionate guide you will be driven through the thick and luscious bush to some of the best wildlife-spotting sites.

You may see a variety of different creatures such as elephants, leopards, lions as well as many more, all undisturbed and in their natural habitat. It is recommended to drive out more than once, as each time is a unique and exciting experience.

For a more intimate exploration of the bush, head out for a wander around the reserve. This is the perfect way to marvel at the smaller workings of the bush, such as insect life and the micro-ecosystems. With your friendly and knowledgeable guide, you can learn about the flora and fauna of the area and spend an afternoon tracking animal prints.

This is also the perfect time to enjoy some birding, with a guide who will point out bird nests in the trees and will be able to identify some of the 450 species of bird from the calls which fill the air as you walk.

Children have the opportunity to explore and immerse themselves in the bush with a guide, who will teach them all about the animals and wildlife of the area. This is a fantastic way for children to be inspired and to learn about conservation and the diverse wildlife.

For guests who wish to indulge in some self-care whilst on safari then there are a range of experiences to choose from. Start your day with a quick workout in the fitness centre or yoga session on the unique yoga decking. Find your inner peace surrounded by fresh breezes and stunning views.

After a long day, wander over to the healing house and spend some time meditating while in the sauna or while relaxing on the peaceful decking, with nothing but the birds in the trees to keep you company.

Get cosy around the campfire and share the exciting stories of your day with your fellow guests. Listen to the crackling of the warm fire while gazing up at the night sky, full of stars, all visible due to the lack of light pollution.

Nelson Mandela visited Londolozi in 1992, and this has been celebrated by the installation of an art project called ‘Freedoms Way.’ Journey along this and learn all about Mandela’s extraordinary life.

Recognised for the excellent wildlife photography that can be captured in the area, Londolozi can help guests take excellent photos of amazing moments. You can hire a private safari vehicle to enjoy a journey tailored to your photographic desires, or you can ask to be paired with a photographic tutor who can help with everything from the first image down to the editing process.

Londolozi was founded in 1976 and since then it has created a reputation for itself as a leading example for conservation, as through the Londolozi Conservation Development Model it was shown that “people and wildlife could live and work together in harmony.” The model has gone from success to success due to “its ability to produce long-term returns for investors whilst simultaneously ensuring sustainable conservation and community upliftment” and its endorsement by Nelson Mandela.

The blueprint for this model was founded on three principles; the first being to work with nature, restore damaged land and create safe havens for wildlife. The second founding principle was the desire to “create a place in the world to showcase African excellence.” And the third principle was the protection of the local communities through social and economic integration which “up-skills and uplifts rural people.”

There are many companies and organisations who have been inspired and guided through the work of Londolozi to create their own conservation development programmes. Phinda and Zuka Game Reserve was created after a conversation around the fire at Londolozi; the safari operator Singita had a similar origin; the creation of Tswalu Kalahari Game Reserve was inspired by Londolozi; Caiman Ecological Reserve in Brazil was begun after a trip to Londolozi; the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in India has been inspired by Londolozi; as has Leopard Trails in Sri Lanka and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya.

At Londolozi, their aim is to go above and beyond to try and create a new way of life within the environment and community where they operate. They aim to create a way of village life which is futuristic, sustainable, and with opportunities in health and education with their overarching aim being to create a community where everyone belongs.

To create their “futuristic African Village” Londolozi aid in the building and upkeep of local schools, health centres, sustainable initiatives, gardens, and buildings. Whilst creating this infrastructure they make sure to respect the local culture and build with harmony to nature in mind as well making sure all they do is sustainable for the future.

Londolozi aims to be “a working example of how technology can be utilised to reduce impact within a wilderness reserve and lower demand on finite resources,” as well as trying to shift mindsets and embrace “a lower impact lifestyle.” Heartware is promoted at Londolozi, and villagers are supported and encouraged to be uniquely themselves, creating a world where people can live “connected to each other, our shared humanity and the planet we call home.”

Many of the initiatives wouldn’t be possible without guests’ help and support. 280 breadwinners are employed “who support over 2800 dependents on a daily basis” just by guests choosing to safari at Londolozi lodges.

Staff are treated as part of the family, with annual training programmes which are “designed to support self-improvement and individual advancement within the industry.” Every night spent at Londolozi by a guest contributes to “the employment and welfare of 5 employees, 8 dependents and the protection of 6 rhino” as well as “8 children and 1 adult receiving access to digital education as a result of the visit.”

The Londolozi Social Investment Programme currently reaches 26,500 students who are enrolled in the “Satellite Learning Centres”. This programme has gone from success to success and is currently a “subject of a Stanford University Research Project” which may lead to it becoming “the guiding principles for innovative learning programmes in other emerging countries in the world.”

The Good Work Foundation began as a “prototype digital learning centre in the Londolozi Village” and has since expanded to deliver education to many remote and rural villages in South Africa.

These digital learning campuses have led to 240 rural adults graduating with qualifications in subjects such as IT, English, and Hospitality – which are all internationally recognised. 10,000 children were enrolled in 2020, and they will not just gain an education but also take part in Rhino conservation programmes, and awareness-raising courses.

This is one of the mantras that flows throughout Londolozi’s operations. With respect for the people from local villages and the people who work for Londolozi, they aim to maintain the “harmonious village life” they have created.

Training programmes and opportunities are offered to staff at all levels of employment, which “allow for the continual succession and incremental advancement of each and every individual within the organisation.” In a push to create an excellent quality of rural life Londolozi have established support systems which include a medical clinic and educational provisions.

In 2010 The Tracker Academy was founded. This is a “non-profit organisation which trains disadvantaged rural people in the traditional skills of tracking.” This academy has been highly successful, with 94% of the graduates being currently employed in the tourism industry in South Africa.

Londolozi is a co-signatory to the GLTFCA, which is the “largest transfrontier wildlife sanctuary in the world.” To help the vision of the GLTFCA become a reality Londolozi partnered with Thebe Corridors Company to promote training, a transformation of the safari industry and land regeneration to establish a corridor of wildlife “linking Londolozi and the Kruger National Park to the Drakensburg mountains in the west” and “reinstating the historic migratory wildlife movements of the past.”

Elusive and rare, Leopards were hardly sighted in the early days of Londolozi. Over time, and through the use of “sensitive techniques” in regard to the first leopard that was spotted, leopards are now more frequent in the area.

The first leopard that was spotted was a female, and through creating a positive relationship between humans and leopards, she filtered down her relaxed nature around humans to her cubs and the “successive generations.”

At Londolozi, produce is grown in specially built vegetable gardens, and each year “half a tonne of vegetables are grown” and all of these vegetables are purchased by Londolozi which helps to support micro-businesses.

To reduce their waste Londolozi sends all the food waste to the local pig farmer, and staff are encouraged to grow their own vegetables at home, recycling all their fresh waste by using worm farms. 80% of the food used at Londolozi is organic, and Fair Trade coffee is used. Sustainable practices even extend to the seafood they use, with all seafood they resource having followed the “WWF SASSI guidelines.”

Leading by example, Londolozi is at the “forefront of renewable energy” including solar power – of which the lodge gets up to 80% of its energy from – and battery-powered safari vehicles, with the whole fleet of vehicles aiming to be battery-powered by 2020. These vehicles move silently through the wilderness, meaning the animals are less disturbed, and have a much lower carbon footprint than a petrol vehicle.

Londolozi also has their own solar farm, which is the first in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve and have made this land dual-purpose as a parking spot for their game vehicles, which means no land is wasted on building a car park. Solar power is not the only energy-efficient initiative they are using, with a push towards “energy-efficient cooling and efficient LED lighting.”

The lodge has “one of the most advanced” water recycling plants in the Southern Hemisphere, and they have an eventual goal of achieving “closed circuit consumption models” to reduce their waste and the negative impact it has on the environment. Londolozi works with the belief that they “should become an example of using modern technology to support the new systems for living and a lighter footprint on the land.”

This is an initiative which staff and guests alike are aware of, and it helps to reduce water usage and electricity usage. The consciousness of how much water is being used is encouraged, as well as guests trying to limit the air conditioners usage, and turning off the lights when not being used. In much of the lodge, low energy fans are used instead of air conditioners and maximising natural airflow is a major factor when building new areas of the lodge so air conditioning can be used less.

Other initiatives to help limit their impact on the environment include only using indigenous plants in their gardens, running sustainable training programmes among the community, putting pressure on delivery services to remove all packaging before arriving at Londolozi and organising monthly community tree planting expeditions and litter picking walks.

All water at Londolozi is drawn from a borehole and all greywater is recycled through two water-recycling plants and “re-used for irrigation.” They created their own bottling plant for bottled water, to provide guests with still and sparkling water in glass bottles, which reduces the waste that comes from single-use plastic bottles.

To help save and recycle as much water as possible staff shower over buckets to collect the greywater, the water from the air conditioning units is used to water the vegetable garden and plants around the lodges, and there are storage tanks which collect rainwater to be used in the village.

At Londolozi the 5 Rs are followed, these are “reduce, recycle, reuse, refuse, and rot.” 250kg of waster every week has been eliminated through buying things in bulk, eliminating single-use plastic, using refillable containers and using reusable wax wraps instead of clingfilm. Londolozi works with local community businesses to create a total of 678kg worth of waste being recycled per month. In terms of ‘rot’ – worm farms are used to break down organic waste “to create compost for our vegetable gardens.”

In a way to reuse even the small items of single-use plastic that Londolozi still has, they create eco-bricks, an innovative and creative way to re-use the plastic. Any left-over single-use plastic which cannot be recycled is pushed into a plastic bottle, which when full, “can be used to build with.” Printing is now actively discouraged, and sharing information in other ways such as over apps or dropbox is now encouraged. Eco-friendly cleaning chemicals are used and are delivered in bulk, with containers that the staff reuse once empty.