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Sustainability Practices

Our responsible approach

Walking the Talk - Sustainability Policy and Practices

Our dedication to responsible and sustainable safari experiences means we constantly strive to improve. We also seek not only to lead but also to inspire by example. 

Here are our sustainable practices and policy in action:

Policy Statement

Sustain Safaris is a specialist nature-based tour operating company working across Southern Africa and East Africa, with planned selective expansion into other destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa. As a small, conservation-oriented business, we are committed to implementing a practical, credible, and continually improving sustainability approach that is appropriate to our scale, operations, and sphere of influence.

Our sustainability model is based on the principle that responsible tourism should contribute positively to biodiversity conservation, support local communities, uphold strong wildlife ethics, and reduce unnecessary environmental impact through deliberate business decisions and thoughtful journey design.

Rather than relying on excessive administrative systems or overstated claims, Sustain Safaris prioritizes meaningful, achievable actions that can be implemented consistently and reviewed annually.

Commitment

Sustain Safaris is committed to operating as a conservation-led company that combines authentic safari experiences with practical environmental and social responsibility. We believe that carefully designed tourism, responsible partnerships, and direct support for conservation can contribute meaningfully to Africa’s landscapes, biodiversity, and communities.

Core Commitments

Responsible Partner Selection

Sustain Safaris recognizes that the majority of a tour operator’s impact lies in the suppliers and properties it chooses to support. We therefore prioritize working with accommodation providers, guides, transport operators, and activity partners that demonstrate commitment to:
  • Biodiversity conservation and landscape protection.
  • Local employment and community benefit.
  • Ethical wildlife practices.
  • Responsible resource use, including water and energy.
  • Waste reduction and reduced dependence on single-use plastics.
Supplier selection is guided by internal screening criteria that assess conservation value, community benefit, wildlife ethics, and operational responsibility.

Low-Impact Journey Design

We design itineraries with the intention of delivering high-quality guest experiences while reducing unnecessary environmental impact. As far as reasonably possible, Sustain Safaris favours:
  • Longer stays in fewer destinations.
  • Reduced reliance on unnecessary internal flights.
  • Lower-density tourism areas and conservation landscapes.
  • Properties and experiences with strong conservation credentials.
  • Journey design that values depth, ecological integrity, and logistical efficiency.

Wildlife Ethics

Sustain Safaris maintains a strict wildlife ethics position. Wildlife welfare must always take precedence over entertainment or guest proximity. We do not promote or sell.
  • Parks where wildlife activity ethics and rules are disrespected by operators.
  • Venues associated with unethical wildlife trade or wildlife product sales.
  • Elephant riding.
  • Walking with predators.
  • Cub petting.
  • Canned hunting.
  • Exploitative wildlife encounters.
We support respectful wildlife viewing and tourism models linked to real conservation outcomes.

Conservation Contribution

Sustain Safaris is committed to supporting biodiversity conservation through both tourism revenue flows and direct conservation support. Through the Sustain Conservation Fund, we allocate a portion of annual profits to selected conservation partners, currently including:
  • Zululand Conservation Trust – primarily to support pangolin conservation efforts.
  • BirdLife South Africa – primarily to support vulture conservation research efforts.
These partnerships support initiatives such as pangolin protection, rhino monitoring, anti-poaching support, bird conservation, and community-linked conservation efforts. Where appropriate, guests are also encouraged to make voluntary contributions to relevant conservation initiatives.

Community Benefit and Cultural Respect

We believe tourism should generate meaningful local value in the destinations where we operate. Sustain Safaris therefore seeks to:
  • Support local employment and guiding.
  • Favour suppliers with measurable community benefit.
  • Encourage support for local enterprise and locally made products.
  • Promote respectful, authentic cultural engagement.
  • Avoid exploitative or staged cultural experiences.

Waste Reduction and Practical Resource Responsibility

Within our scale of operations, Sustain Safaris seeks to reduce waste and unnecessary resource use by:
  • Providing reusable aluminium water bottles for guests as a gift on each tour.
  • Minimizing printing through digital documentation.
  • Reducing or avoiding branded single-use plastics.
  • Encouraging refillable water systems on tour.
  • Separating recyclable and non-recyclable waste on tour where practical.
  • Recycling paper and plastic at office level where feasible.

Governance and Continuous Improvement

Sustain Safaris applies a lean sustainability management approach suited to a small specialist business. We commit to:
  • Reviewing this policy annually.
  • Refining our practices over time.
  • Setting realistic and measurable sustainability priorities.
  • Integrating sustainability into supplier choice, trip design, and guest communication.
At our current stage of growth, we do not prioritise complex carbon accounting, net-zero claims, or resource-intensive reporting systems unless they can be implemented credibly and meaningfully. Our approach is to build a strong operational foundation first, and deepen formal systems progressively as the business evolves.

Climate Friendly Travel Partner

Sustain Safaris is registered as a Climate Friendly Travel Partner with a recognized Climate Friendly Travel Plan with the SUNx programme.