Committed To Responsible Tourism

At Umlani Bushcamp, everything we do is influenced by our commitment to responsible tourism. This means that we take great care to treat people and the environment with respect by actively minimising the negative impact on our surroundings and making positive contributions wherever possible.

Umlani Bushcamp is SATSA Approved (www.satsa.com) and has proudly carried the Fair Trade Tourism (FTT) certification for nine years, being the 14th property to receive this accreditation in South Africa. We hereby guarantee that we operate in accordance with Fair Trade criteria such as fair wages and working conditions; fair distribution of benefits; and respect for human rights, culture and the environment.

To qualify for this trademark, Umlani Bushcamp goes through a stringent assessment procedure once a year. For more information, please go to www.fairtrade.travel.

Here is an overview of initiatives that we have in place, as well as some planned for the future.

Environmental

We are committed to minimising the footprint we leave in our natural environment. This is reflected through:

  • Operating with 100% alternative energy sources (using only solar power with a standby generator)
  • Using 100% non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning products
  • Practicing a towel and linen reuse programme
  • Low-flow showerheads and toilets for water conservation
  • Indigenous, water-wise gardens that consist of draught resistant plants, maintained using organic gardening practices
  • Purchasing all fresh produce locally
  • Using organically grown vegetables in the kitchen, where possible
  • Using no individual packaging in the restaurant (sugar, butter etc.)
  • Recycling all waste and composting all organic waste on site
  • Using only lead-free paint in the camp
  • Educating our guests and staff on various aspects of environmental awareness
  • Membership of the Timbavati Association, a non-profit organisation dedicated to conservation by maintaining the biodiversity of species
  • Writing policies on environmental practices and regularly measuring our impact in various areas
  • Reducing waste by replacing individual soap and lotions with dispensers
  • Brewing and using EM (effective microorganisms) to manage our fat trap, septic tanks and grey water system, which completely neutralizes any harmful bacteria
  • We plant and maintain eight indigenous trees per month in partnership with Greenpop
Umlani in Partnership with Greenpop celebrate Arbor Month! 🌿 #JoinTheTreevolution

Greenpop🌿

We are happy to announce our partnership with Greenpop! 🌿

The Greenpop Foundation NPC is a leading environmental non-profit organisation (NPO#: 151-411 NPO; PBO#: 930050622) based in Cape Town, South Africa.
We are on a mission to educate for action.
As an antidote to eco-anxiety, we aim to inspire enthusiasm and build capacity for positive
environmental action. Our work is diverse. We provide technical and financial support for
reforestation and urban greening projects. We craft creative eco-education curriculums and
awareness campaigns. We run engaging nature-based events and experiences. From getting our
hands dirty running local projects to consulting for global organisations, we turn ideas into impact.

Greenpop was founded in 2010 and has since worked across Sub-Saharan Africa and empowered thousands of people around the world to get active (not anxious) about the future of our planet.

Umlani plant and maintain eight indigenous trees per month in partnership with Greenpop and their Forests For Life programme 🌿

Join the Treevolution
Website: www.greenpop.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Greenpop
Instagram: @GreenpopSA
LinkedIn: @Greenpop
Email: [email protected]

Greenpop

Socio-Economic

Our FTTSA-certification is a third-party stamp of approval that we operate in accordance with strict socio-economic guidelines. Below are specific initiatives:

  • Writing policies on local recruitment; internal skills development and promotions; and employment equity
  • At least 80% of our staff are from the local community
  • We proudly build capacity within our local community by training our staff in such a way that they can grow and develop their careers. Proof of this is that 10 local employees who started at Umlani as apprentices are now working as rangers, trackers, chefs and in management roles at other neighbouring lodges
  • We run an in-house Ranger and Tracker Apprentice programme
  • We source most of our products locally, and have a programme in place to constantly monitor and improve this
  • We are involved in and support a number of charities through our work, including:
    • The Timbavati Foundation - https://timbavati.co.za/timbavati-foundation/ 
    • A monthly financial contribution and 10% of the conservation levies collected by Umlani are allocated to the foundation
    • The local Phelwana Clinic through the Timbavati Foundation
    • The Timbavati Foundation Bush School Environmental Programme
    • Nourish
    • Greenpop "day of 1000 trees" and "trees for Zambia"
    • StreetSmart
  • We support local business and SMMEs like Ringetani
  • Educating our staff about HIV/AIDs including prevention, living with and managing the disease, and facilitating access to ARVs
  • We have recently completed a survey as part of the ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) Framework for Tourism Businesses project by UN Tourism and the University of Oxford SDG Impact Lab - https://www.unwto.org/tourism-statistics/environmental-social-governance-tourism
  • We give our guests opportunities to participate in and/or contribute towards all initiatives that we are involved in

This list was compiled as a quick overview of our initiatives. Should you require further information, or if you would like to see our full policy document, please do not hesitate to contact us.