Singita

November 2022 – Launching its standalone website this month, the Singita Lowveld Trust (SLT) – Singita’s non-profit conservation and community development partner in South Africa – now offers a dedicated space for audiences to interact with all its active projects in the Sabi Sand and Kruger National Park area.

With Singita’s first dedicated contemporary African art gallery now open in Singita Sabi Sand and the second in Singita Kruger National Park imminently opening its doors, the art concept that is unfolding across our properties is increasingly creating opportunities for our guests to engage with the depth of Africa’s artistic heritage.

For humankind to thrive, the environment has to, too. And the inverse is also true. At Singita, our commitment to the long-term welfare of planet and people informs all of our operations, and the growing urgency and increased emphasis on immediate and drastic action is pivotal in shaping our policies.

Singita’s roots in Africa have always informed its vision for the future, and the creativity of its people inspires the heart and soul of our spaces. These all-important links to the history and heritage of Africa resonate profoundly with our guests.

We are excited that from June 2022, Singita will become a member of Safari Portal. Safari Portal is a revolutionary content management system and itinerary builder connecting agents with supplier content for proposals for prospective guests.

One of the most inspiring things about going on safari is how being in step with nature makes you find your own rhythm too, and at Singita, guests can shape the flow of each day according to what resonates with them most.

As an integral part of every Singita stay, our food journey is renowned for its holistic farm-to-table approach, and each culinary experience is an opportunity for treasured time and connection with loved ones.

As a company built on the foundations of sustainability and with a 100-year purpose to preserve and protect large areas of African wilderness for future generations, Singita aims to champion programmes and initiatives that drive equality and upliftment.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Serengeti Girls Run will be one of the continent’s most-anticipated adventures – with runners from all over the world lacing up to take part in this iconic journey through the savannas and grasslands of Singita’s private concession in the Serengeti.

With the world facing a catastrophic loss of nature, there’s been a clarion call for governments, businesses and society to join forces as they tackle climate, ocean and land degradation.

A world of opportunity awaits at Singita’s Rwandan culinary school The excitement is palpable among the 10 students of the inaugural class of the newly opened Singita Community Culinary School in Rwanda, and there’s no shortage of passion as they set to work acquiring the sought-after skills and industry-revered know-how that will see them soar in this exciting and competitive arena.

Singita’s festive celebrations are all about renewed connections with loved ones – and a sense of togetherness enveloped in kindness, simplicity and the profound reawakening of being surrounded by nothing but nature. Share in Singita’s joyful festive spirit and join our beautifully curated & intimate celebrations in the wilderness.

Singita’s unique food journey is an intrinsic part of how our guests experience Africa, with fresh ingredients gathered from our on-site gardens and innovative menus that complement our wellness philosophy.

Born and raised on South Africa’s East Coast and boasting a Sri Lankan and South Indian heritage, Neelamani Padayachee (Vanie) grew up surrounded with the flavours and inspiration of many different cuisines.

At the end of last month, Singita Grumeti was delighted to host the 2020 Serengeti Girls Run. Despite the challenges wrought by this year, its impact on the women and girls of rural Tanzania is important now more than ever and it was a delight that the event could go ahead as planned.⁠

Steeped in history and set in the heart of the Sabi Sand Reserve, Singita Castleton is the former home of the grandfather of Singita’s Founder, Luke Bailes, making it the perfect setting for families and friends to experience the magic of the bush together. Over the years, this stately African farmhouse overlooking a busy waterhole has evolved with the needs of modern travellers, while still providing guests with a classic safari experience that’s intimate, warm and welcoming.

2020 has ushered in a new decade and an environmental “super year”; a year in which we have an incredible opportunity to make an ambitious global commitment to battle biodiversity breakdown and urgently tackle the climate emergency. Now is the time for change – this will be a make-or-break year in which key international decisions will set the tone and agenda for environmental action in the decade ahead.

We are helping our conservation partner in Tanzania, the Grumeti Fund to raise $500,000 to support the next translocation of eastern black rhino to the Western Serengeti – but we can’t do it alone.  For as little as $5, you have the opportunity to make a difference that could define the future success of an entire species.

High-end design and an effortlessly chic safari aesthetic are trademarks of the Singita experience, and something that is carried through in all of the brand’s properties, whether classic or contemporary. Over the years, the introduction of Boutique & Galleries at the lodges has afforded guests the opportunity to take home a memento of their safari adventure with Singita, while adding a unique and stylish touch of Africa to their lives. Now a new online catalogue brings this exclusive retail experience into the comfort and convenience of your home.

Designed to embrace the movement of the global food scene towards sustainable sourcing, ethical provenance and the proliferation of artisanal cooking techniques, the dining concept at Singita Sweni Lodge brings international culinary trends to a far-flung corner of the African bush. This sophisticated approach heroes local ingredients, which are paired with more unusual flavours and unexpected methods of preparation

This year’s event – the second in this series of Safaris with a Purpose – has just wrapped up and was a resounding success. This all-women run across the Serengeti wilderness raised funds and awareness for the Grumeti Fund’s girl and women empowerment programmes; a range of initiatives specifically aimed at providing opportunities for women in conservation, local commerce and community leadership.

The challenges facing girls and women in rural Africa limit their education prospects and career potential severely. Cultural marginalisation makes it especially hard for them to reach their potential and thrive. Singita’s non-profit conservation partner in Tanzania, the Grumeti Fund, works in more than 20 villages close to Singita’s 350,000-acre concession in the western Serengeti.

Perched high on a sandstone ridge in the remote Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve in Zimbabwe’s southeast, the newly redesigned Singita Malilangwe House provides an intimate wilderness setting for families and friends seeking shared experiences in nature. Magnificent boulders and ancient fig trees surround the villa – which is situated alongside Singita Pamushana Lodge – and the shimmering waters of Malilangwe Dam beckon from below.

The opening of Singita Volcanoes National Park marked the next exciting chapter in our ongoing conservation journey in Africa. The eight-suite Kwitonda Lodge and exclusive-use villa Kataza House enjoys an unrivalled location right on the edge of Volcanoes National Park, where a third of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas find refuge. Arguably built as one of the most sustainable lodges on the continent, Singita Volcanoes National Park honours Rwanda’s people and its fertile land by touching lightly on the land, while contributing significantly to conservation, community partnerships and ecotourism.

Spanning 33,000 acres, Singita’s private concession on the eastern edge of the Kruger National Park in South Africa is known for its dramatic landscape as well as a high concentration of iconic African wildlife. Abundant prey and a favourable habitat draw many big cats to the area, not least of all being eight imposing prides of lion and the interlopers who battle them for territory. Often referred to as “Lebombo: Land of Lions”, after the Lebombo mountain ridge that dissects the concession, it is one of the best places in the world to see these beautiful creatures surrounded by nature.

Immersed in the plains of the Serengeti, one is surrounded by an endless savanna; enfolded in abundant grasslands that stretch all the way to the horizon. It is only on higher ground that its vast expanse and undulating landscape can be fully appreciated, and it is on one such vantage point that you will find the new Hillside Suite at Singita Sasakwa Lodge. This romantic retreat, designed as a private villa for two, takes full advantage of its secluded location, offering guests privacy and solitude in an atmosphere of barefoot luxury.

Travellers looking for extraordinary experiences that restore, revive and awaken the senses find solitude in untouched natural surrounds, and Africa’s awe-inspiring wilderness areas form the perfect backdrop for the stillness they seek. Requiring a change of pace from their busy lives, guests greatly value destinations where peaceful privacy abounds, welcoming the opportunity to truly slow down.

For more than a quarter of a century, Singita has been raising the bar for sustainable and eco-friendly tourism. What began as a boutique safari lodge built on family-owned land in South Africa’s Sabi Sand Game Reserve 26 years ago, has become a game-changing collection of environmentally sensitive properties that redefines the luxury safari experience.

As elusive as leopards may be, their legendary adaptability has fostered a belief that they are widespread both inside and outside of protected areas. As a result, the species has received little conservation attention to date but loss of habitat and prey, coupled with high levels of demand for skins, is threatening the species’ very existence. Singita’s research work with Panthera, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation of big cats the world over, seeks to better understand their behaviour and population dynamics; information which will help to drive positive policy changes that will keep healthy numbers of leopards in the wild for future generations.

Celebrating the mouthwatering gourmet experiences at Singita’s lodges and camps and paying homage to the talented individuals who make its culinary offerings come to life, Singita: Our Food Journey is a specialist safari cookbook unlike any other. Frank and Donna Louw met in Singita’s kitchens many years ago and they compiled this beautiful book with Georgina Pennington, Head of Creative Direction at Singita. Frank and Donna played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s gourmet evolution, with expert input from Group Executive Chef, Andrew Nicholson, and the acclaimed South African chef Liam Tomlin, who regularly collaborates with Singita to infuse its menus with fresh ideas.

In line with our 100-year purpose to preserve and protect large areas of African wilderness for future generations, our long-term commitment to drastically reduce the environmental impact in all our operations is unwavering and the recently reopened Faru Faru Lodge in Singita Grumeti highlights the continuous efforts to reduce our carbon footprint. The lodge’s brand-new solar PV plant replaces existing diesel generator systems, and its leading-edge sustainable redesign extended to the sustainability of its supply chain.

Driven by a 100-year purpose that seeks to protect Africa’s land and its flora and fauna for future generations, Singita is committed to the continued conservation of the continent’s most iconic landscapes. Now, Singita is taking this philosophy a step further by partnering with White Desert Antarctica and One&Only to offer guests an adventure like no other; a series of unique encounters with the wildlife that define some of the world’s most precious wild places.

Renowned author of over 60 children’s books, Dr Seuss, has inspired a love of reading in millions of children over the past eighty years. While his stories have been translated into more than 20 languages, first words and early reading books are not readily available in the XiTsonga language of the communities around the Sabi Sand and Kruger National Park. Recognising this gap, Singita’s community partnership team decided to create such a local-language book for the 2,500 young children who benefit from its Holistic Early Childhood Development (ECD) Support Programme.

At Singita Kruger National Park, guests have the opportunity to interact with the people of Singita in a unique way – by rolling up their sleeves and taking part in a lesson with the students at the Singita Community Culinary School. This incredible community partnership project began in 2007 and was created to fulfil a need in the local community for skills development and improved employment potential, as well as to benefit the wider hospitality industry by producing proficient chefs that are ready to tackle any role in a professional kitchen.

Deeply engaging experiences often require venturing off the beaten track – to journey into untouched places where the wilderness and wildlife allow you to regain your perspective and sense of belonging in the natural world. And few encounters can be as soul-restoring as gorilla-trekking in Rwanda’s northwestern reaches. The survival of endangered mountain gorillas has been a prominent environmental concern for decades. While they were once critically endangered – and expected to be extinct by the millennium – there is renewed hope since their numbers now exceed 1,000, and are still growing. Of these, more than a third find refuge on the slopes of the dramatic Virunga Mountains in Volcanoes National Park.

Over the past 25 years, Singita has intuitively curated guest experiences that incorporate a novel approach to the restorative effects of unconstrained time and space. At the heart of this mindset lies a set of values based on the expectations of savvy travelers, as well as a longing for nurturing natural encounters. Singita Sweni Lodge, set in a remote stretch of South Africa’s iconic Kruger National Park, beautifully embodies all the layers of a luxury that suspends time and space.

Experiencing the magic of the Serengeti plains on foot is a privilege few will ever be able to appreciate, and the sheer joy exhibited by the participants of last year’s inaugural Serengeti Girls Run – as well as their camaraderie, perseverance and passion – inspired this year’s follow-up event in October. The run is an all-women event that forms part of Singita’s signature collection of conservation safaris called ‘Safaris With A Purpose’, and is held in partnership with the Grumeti Fund to support the empowerment of girls and women in rural Tanzania. This year will see double the number of runners participate in the once-in-a-lifetime adventure that’s set in one of the most iconic wilderness areas in Africa, covering 21km daily over three days.

Tucked between Tanzania to the east, Uganda to the north and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, Rwanda is a remarkably small country nestled in a 10,169-square mile pocket of land brimful of high-altitude forests and shimmering lakes. While close encounters with the endangered mountain gorillas in the northwest have long been a major drawcard for visitors venturing into the country, Rwanda’s rebirth in recent years has revealed that it has countless other experiences to offer.

The Serengeti’s vast plains of pale gold, the artistry of African design and the simple, clean lines of Danish interior style have inspired a new look at the recently reopened Singita Faru Faru Lodge in Tanzania. This much-loved property is a showcase of exquisite workmanship in an atmosphere of total serenity, providing a subtle backdrop for the awe-inspiring wildlife experience for which the region is famous.

Protecting Africa’s leopards has become a conservation issue of increasing importance. Panthera, one of Singita’s non-profit conservation partners, estimates that this once-widespread species has vanished from at least 49% of its historic range on the continent and is already extinct in six countries, and possibly six more.

Singita believes that sustainability is an ongoing journey of continuous awareness, improvement, and thoughtful, appropriate adaptation to the changing contexts in which it finds itself. This philosophy is echoed across the business, from the lodges and camps situated in remote parts of the African bush to its urban offices in some of the continent’s most populous cities.

The culinary experience at Singita’s lodges and camps is an integral part of any visit to these incredible wilderness areas. And, every plate is an expression of the company’s commitment not only to creating an outstanding food offering that perfectly complements the exquisite surroundings in which guests find themselves, but to the importance of practising environmental sustainability at every level, including in the kitchens. For the first time, and in celebration of the brand’s gourmet evolution, Singita has brought together traditional and more contemporary African-inspired recipes in a beautiful, 274-page cookbook, giving you a taste of safari at home.

The bold yet softly elegant combination of Scandinavian simplicity expressed through traditional African craft underpins the striking update of Singita Faru Faru Lodge, which reopens in the Serengeti next week. Danish interior design was the starting point for the exquisite reimagining of the lodge which fuses clean, streamlined spaces with warm, tactile elements and honours its astounding wilderness setting.

With a 25-year history as one of Africa's leading conservation tourism brands, Singita is undoubtedly an authority on finding the balance between a luxury safari experience and sustainable, environmentally conscious operations that benefit the land under its care.

In October 2018, the Singita Grumeti Fund (SGF) partnered with BRAVE, a South African non-profit organisation, to host the inaugural Serengeti Girls Run in Tanzania. This all-women run across the Serengeti wilderness raised funds and awareness for the SGF’s girl and women empowerment programmes which are specifically aimed at providing opportunities for women in conservation, local commerce and community leadership. Runners of all levels joined this once-in-a-lifetime event that demonstrated the strength and determination of the women involved as well as the capacity for all of us to achieve more when we work together.

Between 97,796 and 140,615 wildebeest are killed illegally by poachers in the Serengeti every year. In addition to this, the relentless and escalating demand for high-value wildlife products such as rhino horn, elephant ivory, lion bone and pangolin scales has driven the illegal hunting of these and other species to levels not seen in decades. The challenge of securing the resident game falls to a 120-strong team of dedicated anti-poaching scouts. In addition to having boots on the ground 24 hours a day, a canine unit created in partnership with Working Dogs for Conservation (WD4C), aims to deter would-be poachers from entering the concession.

Sitting in a landscape that is vastly different to the grassy plains of the Serengeti or the dramatic rock formations of the Kruger National Park, Singita Kwitonda Lodge and Kataza House will offer an experience unlike any of Singita’s other destinations. The lodge will sit on 178-acres of land on the edge of Volcanoes National Park; where more than half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas live in high-altitude dense cloud forests.

An eight-year old 1,157 kilogram eastern black rhino bull from San Diego Zoo has been successfully translocated by the Singita Grumeti Fund to the western Serengeti, in an effort to save this critically endangered species from extinction. The epic 68-hour journey spanned five countries, requiring three aeroplanes and two trucks.