Singita’s exclusive Grumeti Reserves on the Western corridor of the Serengeti in Tanzania, where Africa’s thrilling wildebeest migration takes place, is an exemplary model for the new philanthropic direction that Safari Travel in Africa is taking. The Serengeti National Park is home to the biggest large mammal population on earth, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981. A small number of eco-philanthropists are investing in East and Southern Africa, restoring the land and its wildlife and addressing the needs of the local communities, while providing the top end of the tourism market with an exclusive safari experience.

It is said that this could well be the ‘African miracle’, and the inextricable link between wildlife resources and the growing tourism industry, that will rescue the continent’s flailing wildlife populace, whilst supporting and educating impoverished local communities.

Frequented mostly by affluent, intrepid travelers seeking a quintessential ‘Out of Africa’ experience, safari destinations such as Singita Grumeti Reserves provide a workable model for eco-tourism. Here the owners are acting as custodians to the natural resources of Africa, conserving large, viable tracts of African wilderness and its wildlife, while creating micro conservation-based economies, which provide employment and business opportunities for local communities.  With that comes an interest in preserving the land beyond its capacity to support human interest, and the creation of a truly symbiotic partnership between man and beast, and the land that nourishes both.
Owner of Grumeti Reserves’ 350 000 acre (140 000 hectare) private concession, American Paul Tudor Jones is a Wall Street Fund Manager with a grand and noble vision that distinguishes the Grumeti Reserves from many other safari destinations. He has made a significant commitment to the regeneration of this precious wildlife area, and has formed an important community-driven trust, called the Grumeti Fund.

Recognizing that authentic, unpolluted wilderness was becoming increasingly harder to find, Tudor Jones purchased the rights to this land (Grumeti Reserves) just six years ago, when it was nothing more than a dismal hunting ground where poaching was rife, which had resulted in the severe degeneration of wildlife.

Together with South African Luke Bailes, whose five award-winning Singita Lodges in the Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Game Reserve have redefined the term ‘luxury safari’, he has regenerated the land, re-introduced game and re-created a flourishing ecosystem – as well as providing an exceptional safari experience.

Census figures have revealed dramatic increases in the number of wildlife species in the area, for example 605 buffaloes in 2003 have escalated to 3124 in 2007, eland numbers have increased from 254 to 1211, and Thomson’s gazelle from 254 to 1211 during the same period. Singita Grumeti Reserves is also working with Tanzania National Parks and The Frankfurt Zoological Society to translocate 48 black rhino from South Africa to the Serengeti within the next few years. Poaching almost wiped out the species in the Serengeti ecosystem, reducing it from 1200 black rhinos in the 1960’S, to a low of 42 until anti-poaching initiatives were introduced and numbers subsequently increased to the current estimate of 84.

Based on the Singita philosophy of ‘touching the earth lightly’, the approach of low impact and high value tourism underscores the idea that a minimal number of guests would have little impact on the land and its fauna and flora, thus benefiting the environment while providing up-close, intimate experiences for guests.

While lavish luxury and personal service are all part of the Singita philosophy, so, equally is a commitment to community service and upliftment.  With 600 staff employed at Singita Grumeti, many from the surrounding communities, financial support is generated for these communities through tourism. The Grumeti Fund also focuses on forging positive partnerships between the communities and wildlife, providing funds, educational opportunities and access to the reserve to ensure that local villagers experience the beneficial effects of eco-tourism.  This underscores Singita’s successful development initiatives among which the Grumeti Community and Wildlife Conservation Fund in Tanzania, which has also established a number of sustainable agricultural projects. Another project, the Grumeti Fund Scholarship scheme provides educational opportunities to disadvantaged individuals in neighbouring communities. Guest contributions and profits from commercial tourism operations are reinvested back into the Grumeti Fund community initiatives to create a better life for all.

Singita Grumeti guests are invited to take part in a community tour to nearby Natta village, where several of the community projects may be visited, including a village primary school; a biogas plant at the secondary school; and a sunflower oil production plant. A little further, at Makundusi village, guests may visit a community and a piggery; tree nursery; and the bee keeping project, to name but a few, adding a deeper meaning to their vacation experience.

Intertwining exclusivity and luxury with one of Africa’s most pristine wilderness locations, Singita Grumeti Reserves comprise three spectacular lodges: the flagship Singita Sasakwa Lodge, Singita Sabora Tented Camp and Singita Faru Faru Lodge - each with its own unique charm and ambience, offering exclusivity and privacy. Aimed at the discerning traveller, the Singita Grumeti experience presents a fine, and tangible example of the new African eco-philanthropy that ‘gives back’ through tourism.

Tudor Jones has applied the same blueprint to another significant eco-tourism project – the 105 000 acre (43 000 hectare) Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve in South Eastern Zimbabwe, where the Singita Pamushana Lodge was established to dovetail with The Malilangwe Trust. The Malilangwe Trust too has received international acclaim for its ecological research, breeding and protection of endangered species, as well as essential community work, which includes feeding 25 000 school children daily.

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Issued by FIVESTAR PR

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