Green sleeps: 10 sustainable places to stay in Africa
Reduce your footprint and choose a sustainable visit next time you visit Africa. Here’s our pick of the best…
(Thomas Froemmel)
Mosetlha Bush Camp & Eco Lodge, South Africa
With no electricity or showers, and only an old ‘donkey boiler’ for heating water, this family-run camp in Madikwe Game Reserve offers the lightest of footprints. It’s named after the local Setswana word for the weeping wattle tree.
Booking information: thebushcamp.com
(Lake Natron, Summits Group)
Lake Natron Camp, Tanzania
Founded by Åke Lindstrom and his Maasai wife, Nangini, this lakeside stay in Ngorongoro is built from 100% removable structures. It also works in tandem with the Ngare Sero community, which receives rent and a levy of $15 per guest per night.
Booking information: lake-natron-camp.com
(Sasaab Samburu by The Safari Collection)
Sasaab Samburu by The Safari Collection, Kenya
Sasaab contributes to 600 Samburu families who live within the surrounding Westgate Conservancy. So far, nearly £50,000 of funding has been put towards local schools, health clinics, security and roads.
Booking information: thesafaricollection.com
(Andrew Howard)
Selinda Camp, Botswana
This 100% solar-powered camp on the banks of the Selinda Spillway sees levies from guests help local people via the Great Plains Foundation. This includes its children’s conservation education camps, youth development schemes and the ‘Solar Mamas’ project, which invests in training local women in the installation of solar panels.
Booking information: greatplainsconservation.com
(Arthur Peuckert)
Grootberg Lodge, Namibia
A 100% community owned venture in Palmwag where profits directly benefit the local ≠Khoadi-// Hôas people, Grootberg’s surrounding conservancy was initially established to combat illegal hunting and human-wildlife conflict.
Booking information: grootberg.com
Butterfly Space, Malawi
A non-profit lodge situated on the shores of Nkhata Bay in northern Malawi, Butterfly Space donates 100% of profits to nearby social projects, ranging from primary and nursery education to HIV clinics.
Booking information: butterflyspacemalawi.com
(Matetsi Victoria Falls)
Matetsi Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
This family-owned lodge has its own anti-poaching team, led by local conservationist Brian Gurney, and has helped rehabilitate the 55,000-hectare Matetsi Private
Booking information: matetsivictoriafalls.com
(Mount Gahinga Lodge by Volcanoes Safaris)
Mount Gahinga Lodge by Volcanoes Safaris, Uganda
In 2018, Volcanoes Safaris constructed a village that now houses over 100 members of the displaced Batwa community, one of the oldest Indigenous peoples in the Central Africa. A stay at Mount Gahinga Lodge provides access to the history and customs of the Batwa, with the opportunity to help the community’s homegrown projects.
More information: volcanoessafaris.com
(Tongabezi Lodge)
Tongabezi Lodge, Zambia
Set in Indigenous bushland on the banks of the Zambezi River, Tongabezi offers solar-powered chalets and fresh produce from its garden. Its social initiatives include investment in a number of schools and an HIV-awareness programme.
Booking information: theluxurysafaricompany.com
(Hilton Labriz)
Hilton Labriz Resort & Spa, Silhouette Island, Seychelles
Committed to measurable sustainable practices, Labriz plans to be 50% solar-powered by the end of 2023. It also recycles its grey water for ground maintenance and is eliminating single-use plastic by providing guests water that it is filtered at source.
Booking information:hilton.com
