• Our Approach
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Zimbabwe

The main focus of the Grumeti Fund has been in assisting small-scale business units to create self-sustaining jobs.

These small businesses are largely agricultural enterprises and the goal of the programme is to reduce any reliance on illegal hunting as a form of income and to provide local people with an alternative source of protein.

The Grumeti Fund facilitates the training of local people in the knowledge and skills required to run such an enterprise. It also provides information and financial support. A grant scheme, in the form of ‘revolving funds’ has been implemented. Small businesses supported include those involved in running
fish farms, a piggery, vegetable gardens, bee keeping, sunflower farming and oil production.

The lodges also provide a market for local produce. One area where good strides are being made is the vegetable growing business. On the property, meals are supplied to approximately 650 staff daily. This challenge, in such a remote location, has provided an opportunity for the development of a local agricultural “economy” with vegetables and chickens, beef and pork being purchased on a daily basis from local small-scale farmers.

These suppliers were encouraged to organise themselves into a co-operative and to thereby ensure that supplies are predictable and needs are met – to the benefit of Singita Grumeti and the local suppliers. The vegetables are now being grown accordingly and to such a standard that they can be served to lodge guests.