Responsible Tourism

Our commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism is reflected in our low impact style of travel. Being an African company we have the grass roots contacts to make a real different in the lives of people whose lands we visit.

Many of the people that we employ, both directly and indirectly, are the sole breadwinners in their families - your visit supports rural communities.

We firmly believe that sustainable utilisation is the only viable conservation approach in Africa, and our small group style of travel is the ideal driver for long terns conservation in Southern Africa.

On each itinerary in the brochure you’ll find the Good2Go symbol which highlights just one of the sustainable travel initiatives that we support.

Sunway’s responsible touring and environmental awareness policy applies to everyone travelling with us and allows us to experience the lands we are visiting but also have a positive influence on the communities and ultimately the natural environment of Southern Africa. Our tour leaders will help you with the implementation of these policies, many of which will seem like common sense.

 CLICK HERE TO READ OUR COMMITMENT TO RESPONSIBLE TOURISM DOCUMENT

 BENEFITS OF SMALL GROUP TOURING

There are a myriad of reasons why traveling in small groups may be ideal for you AND for the environment. When booking a self drive safari there are benefits being that you have time on your side and you can travel at your own speed and stop when you want. There is however the disadvantage of creating a larger carbon footprint & cutting out the services of 2 local guide which robs the guides and his family of an income.

The small group dynamic is an exciting way of meeting like minded people embarking on an adventure throughout southern Africa. It is a particularly good and efficient way of travelling in this part of the world, too. Try to imagine all the logistics involved in vehicle papers, insurances, border crossings – not to mention being self sufficient for extended periods in often dramatic and remote areas. Not to mention the expense – traveling with Sunway Safaris is the informed choice.

But it gets even better than that! One often overlooked aspect is the carbon emissions per person per style of travel. For example, consider the following:

Small Group Tours.
Safari Truck – 20l/100 to move on average 10 clients per tour =2L/100km per person
Self-Drive Safari.
Hire car – 7L/100 div 2 = 3.5L/100km per person.
Hire 4x4 – 12L/100 div 2 = 6L/100km per person.

So while the consumption of the truck is greater than smaller vehicles, the fact that you can effectively split the total emissions by the number of travellers, shows a distinct benefit to the environment. It costs less in fuel emissions per person than if you were to conduct a self-drive safari.

Travel responsibly, travel with Sunway Safaris

GOOD2GO INITIATIVE

We know that a Sunway traveller is someone who wants to have a meaningful travel experience and is conscious of the impact that their travel might have on the places they visit. In this world of flight shaming, plastic pollution and over tourism we know that our potential clients are looking carefully at the different aspects of their holiday. Sunway clients have an interest in conservation and in supporting local communities.

Our Good2Go campaign highlights some of the background information to the lodges we stay at on tour. More about our Good2Go campaign is highlighted on each detailed itinerary which can be downloaded from each tour page on this website.

When you book a Sunway trip, you know that the money you spend is going into the local economy and supports various conservation initiatives. This we believe is the key to the fundamental benefit of tourism.
By travelling with Sunway you are supporting our Good2Go campaign.

EMPLOYMENT OF LOCAL GUIDES

Wherever possible – this provides direct revenues into the communities in the areas we visit, thus ensuring that local people gain benefits from Sunway visits to their areas.

The employment of local guide adds value to your visit because you can gain specific local knowledge and expertise from the people who actually live permanently in the area you are visiting. These people live in these areas and have exceptional local knowledge about the wildlife in those areas.

By supporting and employing these people we are helping to ensure that their wildlife areas, scenic beauty and historical significance, generate value for the community and are therefore appreciated and protected from development and exploitation. As a Sunway traveller these interactions give you the chance to meet local people and see how tourism is benefiting Africa.

Below are a few examples of where we use local guides:

• Mkuzi village KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
• Okavango Delta polers trust, Botswana
• Botswana local national park guides, Botswana
• South Luangwa local walking and night game drive guides, Zambia
• Lower Zambezi river safari and rafting river guides, Zambia  Hlane walking guides, Swailand San rock art guides, Brandberg Namibia
• San game walk guides, Kalahari Botswana
• Chobe River cruise guides, Botswana
• Cape Maclear local activity guides, Malawi
• Benguerra Island local dhow guides, Mozambique

SOS - SAVE OUR SAUSAGE TREES - BOTSWANA

The MOKORO is the traditional means of transport for the people of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. For the adventure seeker, gliding through the Okavango Delta in a mokoro with a local guide, is the essence of the Okavango experience. Slipping silently through the water as you explore the maze of shallow waterways watching out for wildlife and marveling at the birdlife.

The problem

But behind this serene experience there lies a disturbing environmental impact. With the increase in tourism to Botswana over the last 20 years the number of mekoro polers earning a living from tourism has increased. This has been beneficial to the communities living within the Okavango Delta and by 2009 there are estimated to be over 2000 mokoros in the Okavango region. Each mokoro is cut from a single mature Kigelia Africana tree (Sausage Tree). 
The root of the problem is that a wooden mekoro lasts perhaps only 5 years before it rots and falls apart. Therefore to build new mekoro, roughly 400 trees must be felled each year and there just aren’t enough trees to sustain this.

The local communities of the Okavango are aware of the problem – largely because they now struggle to find trees big enough for mekoro. Each year we have witnessed smaller new mekoros (meaning younger trees are cut down) and old mekoro being used beyond their reasonable life (meaning leaks and multiple plastic patches).

The community have agreed to stop harvesting trees in the Ditsipi village area and are therefore buying wooden mekoro from other parts of the delta.

The Solution

In the Okavango the number of Sausage Trees cut down each year to build new wooden mekoros is not sustainable. The solution to this environmental issue is to use fiberglass mekoro. Sunway has consulted with the community and they have agreed that should a poler buy a fiberglass mokoro, then the poler will pay 50% of the cost and Sunway the other 50%.

HOW YOU CAN HELP?

Sunway, through our Botswana operating company Planet Okavango, has set up a fund to assist polers to buy fiberglass mekoros and help protect their natural environment.

If you would like to contribute please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

This is a Sunway responsible tourism initiative – please help us conserve this amazing place!

While on tour – general:

• Cooking on gas when feasible so that we don’t have to burn firewood which depletes limited resources (particularly in desert environments).
• Requesting clients to purchase small wooden carvings curio instead of large pieces, again to conserve the forests around the carving markets.
• Ensuring that we take all of our rubbish out of wilderness areas and use proper waste disposal facilities on all tours (and in the workshop).

PEN ORGANISATION - EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Each year we run a number of safaris to the national parks of South Africa for underprivileged children. Our aim is to raise the young adult’s awareness and basic understanding and respect for the natural environment. We also want to show them prospects for their future employment in conservation or the tourism industry.
We work with the PEN Organisation. PEN dreams of igniting change, healing communities and nurturing togetherness. While at Sunway we focus on the youth of our country, the dedicated team that works at PEN works with the whole community which includes children, teens, elderly, parents, students, homeless people, sex workers, drug addicts and every person that crosses their path. Their work covers education and access technology, health and emotional well-being, community support and citizen rights, enterprise coaching and skills development, creative arts, music and recreation as well as supportive housing and mission support. www.pen.org.za

 At this stage Sunway covers all the costs of these trips. Should you wish to contribute to these trips by donation or sponsorship please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 CONSERVATION - Land rehabilitation and wildlife reintroduction

Sunway Safaris is actively involved in supporting the rehabilitation of land and reintroduction of wildlife in two nature reserves located in South Africa. 

To encourage client participation in this noble cause, we have introduced an innovative way: the sale of steel water bottles. These bottles serve a dual purpose by reducing the consumption of single-use plastics during tours and generating funds for conservation efforts in the two nature reserves.

Through this initiative, we recently facilitated the release of two female giraffes into the Zululand Nature Reserve. This contribution has not only added new giraffe genetics to the conservancy but has also brought them one step closer to establishing a sustainable herd.

At Sunway Safaris, we prioritize the importance of conservation and remain dedicated to supporting initiatives that help preserve and protect wildlife and their habitats. By supporting this endeavor, you are actively contributing to the conservation efforts while enjoying the benefits of sustainable tourism.

Village visits:

We support the local community outside Mkuzi Game Reserve in KwaZulu Natal by employing local guides for a village visit. This provides a truly authentic experience but also fosters a better relationship between the park, it’s visitors and the surrounding community (gain direct value from our visits as well as a portion of our camping fees.
• Zulu traditional village in St Lucia, a World Heritage site.
• Xhosa village on South Africas Wild Coast. As above this provides a truly authentic Xhosa cultural experience but also fosters a better relationship between local communities, tourists and tourism establishments.
• Cape Maclear in Malawi, where we use local boatmen to provide our snorkeling excursions.

Accommodation and Campsites

Sunway tries to book accommodation that is locally owned and involved in local responsible tourism initiatives. In November 2007, we undertook the auditing of all establishments that we book, to determine their levels of commitment to the community upliftment projects in their area.
 Campsites that are used, are either locally owned or a percentage of their income goes towards, schooling, or nature conservation & community projects.

Entrance Fees

All entrance fees go directly to the maintenance of National Parks of places of interest
. Entrance fees help with nature conservation practices and anti-poaching activities.

These local initiatives help to maintain local cultures and also sustain the ideals of wildlife conservation. Tourism, goodwill and conservation all work together and Sunway aims to maintain the delicate balance at all times!