Singita

SINGITA comprises an illustrious portfolio of award-winning safari destinations in Southern and East Africa. The Singita experience combines unsurpassed luxury and hospitality with visually arresting locations on prime Big Five game viewing land. This is underscored by an uncompromising dedication to conservation, sustainability, and community outreach and upliftment.

South Africa Located in the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, Singita’s founding lodges - Singita Ebony and Singita Boulders are renowned for exclusive, world class luxury. Known as ‘the best place in the world to view leopard’, this pristine wilderness setting provides unbeatable game viewing experiences. Singita Ebony Lodge with its breathtaking setting on the banks of the Sand River in the Sabi Sand Reserve comprises 12 secluded suites echoing the natural environment. Each boasts a private heated plunge pool and game viewing deck, while the main lodge boasts a superb wine cellar, spa and gymnasium. Singita Boulders Lodge offers an intimate safari experience in the heart of the Sabi Sand. With design inspired by a boulder buttress, the luxurious lodge accommodates 24 guests. Sheer glass walls afford wrap-around views, while indoor and outdoor dining areas and a traditional boma serve gourmet cuisine. Singita’s exclusive concession along the far eastern reaches of the Kruger National Park boasts spectacular scenery and a high concentration of wildlife. Overlooking the N’wanetsi River the luxurious Singita Lebombo, with elevated loft-style suites, and intimate, romantic Singita Sweni, offer modern conveniences in the heart of the wilderness. Breathtakingly elevated on a sheer clifftop overlooking the N’wanetsi River, Singita Lebombo Lodge comprises 15 luxurious loft-style suites, with sweeping wooden decks affording exceptional game viewing. A spectacular cliff-side lap pool, Gymnasium, Spa and the Singita Boutique & Gallery augment other modern conveniences, with superb game viewing and riverside bush breakfasts as highlights. Built on dark timber decks, earthy and seductive Singita Sweni Lodge is reminiscent of a lair in the African wilderness. Secluded within the game-rich Kruger National Park, it comprises an intimate lodge and six romantic suites, each with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, magical outdoor shower and private viewing deck overlooking the river.

Tanzania Located along the Western corridor of the Serengeti in Tanzania, the exclusive Singita Grumeti is distinguished by its eco-philanthropic ethos. An award-winning safari destination, its five distinctive lodges, flagship Singita Sasakwa, Singita Sabora Tented Camp, Singita Faru Faru, Singita Explore Mobile Tented Camp and the latest edition, Singita Serengeti House, all offer supreme privacy and exceptional luxury. Boasting panoramic views, Singita Sasakwa Lodge emulates the style of a turn-of-the-century, East African Ranch House. Ten opulent cottages offer spacious living and every convenience. Activities include spectacular Big Five game viewing and a state-of-the art equestrian centre featuring horseback safaris. Romantic 1920’s-styled Singita Sabora Tented Camp offers an ‘Out-of-Africa’ experience. Nine elegant tented suites offer modern luxuries with en-suite bathrooms, open-air showers and viewing decks. Here guests may indulge in gourmet cuisine in a lavish tented dining room after hot-air balloon game viewing. Perched low on the Grumeti river, Singita Faru Faru Lodge offers an unparalleled eco-safari with nine unconventional open-style stone and canvas suites with huge picture windows, one ideally suited for families. A Swahili-inspired riverine ‘beach’ with two rim-flow swimming pools provides barefoot relaxation in between action-packed game drives and eco-adventures. Singita Explore is a completely exclusive, mobile camp – a modern safari experience unlike any other.  Everything about the camp is designed for minimal energy consumption with little environmental impact, and sleeps a maximum of twelve guests. Located on the slopes of Sasakwa Hill, Singita Serengeti House is an exclusive-use retreat designed to welcome families and friends to an environment that is conducive to total relaxation and a carefree stay. The house accommodates eight guests and a dedicated chef, private vehicle, guide and full house staff service Serengeti House exclusively.

Located in the Lamai Triangle - the northernmost tip of the Serengeti National Park - Singita's newest addition, Singita Mara River Tented Camp is an oasis of casual elegance and relaxed bohemian glamour. With only six tents set against a rugged expanse, it’s easy to lose yourself in the slow rhythms of this untouched corner of the Serengeti. Here, where nature unfolds at her most spectacular, this eco-friendly retreat effortlessly blends romance with the remote isolation of the African wilderness.

Zimbabwe Nestled within the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve in south-eastern Zimbabwe, Singita Pamushana Lodge is home to giant baobabs, abundant bird and wildlife. Offering breathtaking views from the lush garden setting, it comprises six luxurious suites with private pools and a magnificent 5-bedroomed villa. Direct flights offer convenient access from Johannesburg to the property.

Where we operate

South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe

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Our Commitment to Responsible Tourism

“Modern conservation requires a keen focus upon keeping tourism, the community and conservation in a constructive and positively enhancing balance.  The health and survival of each of these aspects is crucial to the survival of the whole.”

Singita’s support for local communities

Remote, rural communities exist on the outskirts of each of the Singita reserves. Many Singita staff hail from these communities and their children are educated and raised there. Each of these communities reflects its own unique and strong culture and its people live largely according to the long-established traditions of the region, although they are not isolated from the effects of today’s modern life. They are, however, generally poor and under-resourced. As such, Singita iscommitted to facilitating their empowerment and development in a tangible and sustainable way, through partnering with them on specific initiatives.

In the interests of impact and efficiency Singita focuses its support within 4 key areas:

1.    Education of children at pre-school and primary school level (under 12 years);

2.    The establishment of, and support for small local businesses;

3.     The community’s access to potable water;

4.     The education of local youth as regards the environment and wildlife conservation.

Thus far, a number of successful projects have come to fruition, many implanted in partnerships with funders, who include Singita guests. As an example of the work that is, and can be done, we highlight here one key programme supported by each of the Singita Reserves.

1.     Singita Sabi Sand, South Africa – The “Growing to Read” Pre-school programme

Singita partners with the Education Department and the READ Educational Trust, a long-established South African Non Profit Organisation, to work with the principals and teachers of 10 pre-schools in the communities alongside the Sabi Sand Reserve.

·       Support provided is holistic and ranges from guidance in the running and management of a pre-school; to formal training courses, focusing on the effective development of children’s literacy and numeracy skills; workshops conducted for parents; and the provision of educational materials.

·       The educators are largely unqualified and this programme represents an on-going process of enhancing the quality of education received by young children, to better prepare them for school and their future lives.

·       Note: An identical programme is supported by Singita Kruger National Park which works with 10 pre-schools in the communities located closer to this lodge.

The programme costs are ZAR250 000 p.a (USD36 000) or ZAR25 000 (USD3 600) per school, and our funding partners contribute to the costs by sponsoring a school’s participation, or contributing towards this. Any funds contributed over and above this are used to purchase further educational materials.

2.     Singita Kruger National Park, South Africa – The Singita School of Cooking

Since 2007, Singita Kruger National park (SKNP) has been running the Singita School of Cooking from its kitchen in its Staff Village.  

·       For each 18 month programme, 8 to 10 youths from the local communities – each of whom meets the criteria and has a passion for cooking -  are selected to participate in this programme which prepares them to be a productive, employable and creative students of the art of specialised cookery.

·       The students are trained by the SKNP Chef Skills Developer who is responsible for the management of the School and the daily food preparation  and cooking of the food for staff. This live kitchen environment adds greatly to the educational value of the training.

·       Students are registered for learnerships and, on completion thereof, emerge with a Level 4 Professional Cooking Qualification (per the South African National Qualification framework). 

·       The students are also, over time, exposed to the operations of the world class lodge kitchens.

·       Students who successfully complete the programme are enabled to find employment as Commis Chefs at one of the Singita lodges or at other lodges in the Kruger Park.

An 18 month scholarship for a student(s) is valued at ZAR 72,000 (USD 6,000). Funding partners either contribute towards this or underwrite a full scholarship. This funds a monthly stipend, uniforms, transport as well as the training costs and the special ingredients required by the course.

3.     Singita Pamushana, Malilangwe Trust Reserve, Zimbabwe – The “Child Supplementary Feeding Programme”

In 2002, in the face of an acute drought, local schools reported a serious problem of malnourished and hungry children. Knowing how this could impact cognitive developmentand so disadvantage these children for life,  and heeding a government call for assistance, Singita Pamushana/MT, commenced anextensive feeding scheme which continues today.

·       Each morning, at 423 feeding points onthe outskirts of the Reserve, 19 000 children – generally under the age of 5 – queue up with recycled plastic bowls to receive a fortified meal of corn soya blend. This meal is prepared for them by designated, volunteer mothers with ingredients purchased, transported and delivered by Singita Pamushana.  The meal contains all the essential nutrients the children need for the day.

·       This has a positive and measurable impact on both school attendance and results and also alleviates the feeding burden of parents.

·       In tandem with this, Singita Pamushana has an active “Irrigated Vegetable Growing Programme” whereby it facilitates increased self-sufficiency within the wider community.

This extensive programme is only possible because of funding partnerships. Funding partners can either:

o   fund a feeding point, providing a meal to (on average) 50 young children daily at a cost of  

USD 200 per year; and/or

o   sponsor a child for USD 40 p.a.

4.     Singita Grumeti, Serengeti, Tanzania – The Environmental Education Centre

In 2009 Singita Grumeti Reserves established an Environmental Education Centre. Its purpose is to develop awareness amongst local youth of the importance of, and most effective ways of preserving the bio-diversity of their communal land and of their neighbouring reserves.

·       The Centre consists of simple but comfortable accommodation and living facilities as well as an equipped  training room. 2 full time trainers manage the programme.

·       Each school week, 12 students from 2 different secondary schools, attend a 5 day practical training course. They are accompanied by 2 teachers who, thereafter, act as mentors to them in implementing the lessons learned. Approximately 360 young people and 60 teachers, from 20 secondary schools, complete the programme each year.

·       Environmental Clubs are established at the secondary schools which participate in the programme. The aim of these clubs is to spread environmental awareness to all the learners.

Funding partners sponsor a 5 day course, attended by 12 learners and 2 teachers. The cost of one such course is USD 2 000.  Additional funds enable an increasing number of courses to be conducted.