Our South Africa and Mozambique Explorer is a mixture of the old and the new, wildlife and culture. We visit a number of National Parks in South Africa and Swaziland and the park fees we pay for entry into the Kruger, Umfolozi/Hluhluwe, Addo, Tsitsikama National Parks and the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary in Swaziland all contribute to the long-term conservation and wildlife management of these areas. Additional optional activities are also available for client to do adding to the income contribution to these areas.
Throughout the tour we stay in campsites either run by the National parks themselves or while in Mozambique we camp in locally run and managed campsites on the coast, creating jobs for the community, and helping the community to grow. Here to there are a number of optional activities such as diving, snorkelling, watersports horse riding all run by the local campsites. We encourage our passengers to purchase goods made locally, and to be aware that craft market income is the only income for many families. Food is purchased at local markets where possible. On all our tours we make use of gas for cooking; only getting firewood where it is readily available. The fridges on the expedition vehicle are powered by batteries on the truck, which are in turn charged using solar panels when we stop over for more than a day or two. We also only carry a maximum of 16 clients on our tours thus lessening the impact on local communities we visit.
Apart from using local guides during the tour we employ a crew of three on our expedition vehicle who are all employed within the African continent. Both our driver and Tour leader are employed from South Africa and have exceptional local and regional knowledge and photographic skills to enable you to gain a better understanding of the areas we travel through. Our cook is from Kenya and has become quiet a legend at producing gourmet meals from local produce.
Africa-in-Focus Responsibilities
Social Impact
We will only introduce our clients to areas where the community welcomes them. Cultural visits will always take place where there is a community project in place, where all areas of the community benefit. Local guides help our clients understand the local custom and norms, and to interact on a more personal level with the communities. By learning some of the local language our clients can have a more positive impact on the community, and leave a more favorable view of tourists in general.
We encourage our clients to contribute to community development projects where we recommend, rather than distributing items randomly.
We inform our clients about local customs and norms, so that they are aware of the impact that their behavior can have on a community.
Economic Impact
We encourage the use, and only make use of (unless not possible) local suppliers and services. This includes local produce, foods and crafts, local tour operators where needed and locally owned and run accommodation, hereby ensuring the funds contributed to accommodation and services stay within the country.
We employ local guides, and make us of local labour, in order to contribute to the economy of the local community. Local guides are used for community visits, as well as for other community run tourism projects (Twyfelfontein, Brandberg).
We encourage our clients to purchase locally produced items by taking them to local craft markets. We also inform our clients that bargaining, and trading goods is the norm, but to keep in mind that the community has to make their living from this, and not to try and bargain unfairly.
Environmental Impact
For distribution of tour information, pre and post booking, we encourage the use of the internet, and e-mail distribution where possible.
Our group size is maximum 16, thereby trying to minimize the impact on sensitive ecosystems.
We make use of small-scale, locally run accommodation, who often make use of alternate power sources (wind, solar) and who actively recycle their waste.
Again we make use of local guides to educate our clients on the environmental impact that we as tourists can have. This makes an impression on the clients, and assists in minimizing the impact we have as a group.
We endeavor to use natural resources, eg water, sparingly, and encourage our clients to do the same. Local fuels (eg wood and charcoal) will only be purchased if there is clearly an abundance of this is the area. In areas where vegetation is sparse fuel wood will be purchased prior to this area, or we will go without.
Any areas visited are to be left as we found them. No litter is to be left behind, unless adequate waste disposal is provided. Nothing is to be removed from remote areas by us or by our clients. Vegetation and geology is to be left untouched.
Our Clients' Responsibilities - Travellers Code
Our clients need to be aware of their responsibility to the social, economic and environmental issues in the areas they are traveling in. There are some basic principles that we encourage.
* Respect the people and the environment that you are visiting.
* Be aware of the impact that your behavior can have on a community
* Be aware of the local customs and norms. Do not invade privacy - ask before taking a photograph, and ensure that the person is giving their consent happily.
* Make an effort to learn the local way of life - just knowing how to say hello and thank-you in a local language can make your presence in a community that much more welcome, and a return visit may be encouraged.
* Learn about the issues surrounding an area. In this way you can observe without making judgment.
* We need to conserve the natural resources in the areas that we are visiting, and also to be aware of the use of the resources in that area (swimming in a river may be discouraged as it may be a drinking water source)
* As westerners we have become accustomed to certain levels of cleanliness, however there are areas where water is scarce, and we need to be aware that use of water in this way would be considered a waste.
* Any area that we visit should not be affected by our visit, unless in a positive way (picking up other people's litter!). Do not remove anything from the environment. Do not disturb animals in their natural habitat. Be aware that in game parks, we are on their territory, and we need to respect their living space as much as we would people the local community.
* Support local community projects where advised by the crew. If you have specific interests, please check with the crew before distributing items at random - you may be doing more harm than good!
* Purchase goods from local craft markets, rather than seeking out foreign run tourist traps! Remember when you are trading or bargaining that this may be their only sale of the day, and may be the only income to put food on their table. Bargain hard, but bargain fairly.
* Do not purchase goods made from endangered resources (ivory, coral).
* When walking in the "wild" be aware of where you are placing your feet! Don't feed any wild animals, as this disrupts their natural behavior patterns, and teaches them to become dependent on humans, and then may actually become dangerous (Baboons in the Western Cape)
