I Stayed at One of many Few Black-owned Safari Camps in Africa — Right here’s Why You Ought to, Too

I not too long ago launched into an thrilling journey in Tanzania’s famed Serengeti, the place I realized there’s no higher place to witness the intricate concord of nature’s ecosystems than on an African safari. And whereas the Serengeti boasts a surprising array of roughly 150 safari properties, starting from opulent lodges to rustic tenting tents, there’s additionally a obvious disparity: the profitable multibillion-dollar safari tourism business is overwhelmingly managed by international nationals and companies.

I had the privilege of staying at one of many few Black-owned safari properties in Africa. This chance granted me an much more extraordinary perspective on this awe-inspiring wilderness — and it highlighted why vacationers ought to attempt to discover Black-owned companies.

Once I arrived at Kantabile Afrika‘s Cherero Camp, the employees greeted my household with open arms, embodying the ujamaa spirit. We spent our days exploring the huge plains on recreation drives, recognizing unimaginable wildlife, and feasting on gourmand meals, together with a magical dawn bush breakfast on the savanna.

The camp’s spacious tents felt like dwelling, that includes lovely hardwood flooring, plush king beds, double self-importance sinks, and refreshing rain showers. From my tent’s elevated terrace, I loved basking within the sweeping views of the Serengeti, dotted with acacia timber, golden grasses, and grazing zebras and wildebeests.

Kantabile Arika was based in 2018 by Godwin Temba, a member of the Chagga tribe originating from the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, and his spouse Vivian. Temba began within the tourism business as a porter for mountain climbers. He turned a mountain information and safari information earlier than taking the leap of religion to determine his personal tour firm, Amani Afrika, in 2007. With no generational wealth, he says, “bootstrapping this enterprise with no international funding was no small feat.”

Now, his firm operates two unique enclaves of six luxurious tents within the Serengeti: Aurari Camp and Cherero Camp. Temba instructed Journey + Leisure he infuses his camps with a profound respect for the setting, using regenerative practices comparable to utilizing solar-powered power and forgoing swimming swimming pools or bathtubs for the reason that “seek for water is the story of the Serengeti.”

His camps additionally foster a deep connection to his homeland and replicate the guideline ujamaa or familyhood, a communitarian perception he says is “distinct from Western individualism.” Temba prioritizes hiring villagers, latest graduates, and girls and allocates a portion of income to help a neighborhood college.

In keeping with the African Journey & Tourism Affiliation (ATTA), a commerce affiliation selling tourism in Africa, roughly 20 p.c of its member organizations have Black homeowners — and this proportion has been step by step rising in recent times.

Beks Ndlovu, founding father of African Bush Camps and a member of the ATTA, operates 18 properties throughout Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Zambia, using practically 700 employees. Along with conventional recreation drives, his camps embrace thrilling actions like starlit dinners and canoe safaris.

At Somalisa Camp, Ndlovu’s first safari property, friends can sleep underneath the celebrities at a secluded, romantic tree home overlooking a watering gap or observe elephants proper exterior their tents on the “elephant pool,” which kinds a pure extension of the principle property. Like Temba, Ndlovu’s love for Africa extends past offering high-end safari experiences. He’s deeply concerned in supporting native communities by way of his African Bush Camps Basis, guided by three core rules: schooling, neighborhood empowerment, and conservation.

A number of different Black-owned safari proprietors are making their mark on the continent. Amongst them is Bushman Plains Camp in Botswana, helmed by three visionary brothers who’re descendants of the nomadic Bukakwe bushmen; Batoka Africa, the primary Black female-owned safari lodge group, working two eco-friendly luxurious properties in Zimbabwe; and Zebra Plains Assortment in Kenya, which has three distinct luxurious safari properties close to the Maasai Mara Sport Reserve.

For a very one-of-a-kind expertise, friends at South Africa’s Kruger Shalati can keep in one in every of 24 practice carriage suites or seven bridge home suites suspended above the Sabie River. The property additionally presents thrilling bush walks, practice trackside dinners, and scenic helicopter flights.

Not solely do every of those properties provide an expensive escape, however they’re additionally beacons of financial empowerment inside their respective communities. Ndlovu says, “Indigenous and Black possession ensures that the advantages of tourism are shared extra equitably and the cultural and ecological values of the area are preserved and promoted authentically.” For Temba, Black possession means preserving cash throughout the nation as a substitute of sending it abroad. “Black possession units a strong instance of what’s attainable, which may encourage future generations to proceed breaking down obstacles,” he mentioned.