From Kruger to the Cape, lodges are blending luxury with measurable change — and travellers are demanding it.
What Is the True Value of a Safari in 2025?
Is it the thrill of spotting the Big Five at dawn, or is it the knowledge that your stay is protecting wildlife and sustaining communities long after you’ve left? Across South Africa, lodges are rethinking the safari model — moving beyond game drives to show guests how tourism funds conservation, creates jobs, and builds resilience for the future.
One of the newest examples comes from Thornybush, with its Impact Safari — a five-night journey that places conservation and community at the heart of the guest experience.
Thornybush’s New Offering
The Impact Safari immerses travellers in both wildlife encounters and the unseen work behind them. Guests join helicopter patrols, watch K9 anti-poaching units in action, plant food gardens, visit the Nourish Eco Village, and share music with the Thornybush Choir.
Evenings return to the comfort of Thornybush’s lodges, but with a new understanding: their stay directly fuels conservation and community.
“Tourism has the power to create lasting change,” says Busi Chauke, Head of Thornybush Community. “The Impact Safari shows guests exactly how their stay supports education, enterprise, and conservation.”
The Hard Numbers
- 420 rhinos poached in 2024 — more than one every day.
- 232 rhinos lost in KwaZulu-Natal alone.
- 88 rhinos killed in Kruger National Park in 2024, up from 78 in 2023.
- 100+ rhinos poached in the first quarter of 2025, 65 inside national parks.
- 1 million pangolins trafficked globally in the last decade.
- During COVID-19, many reserves lost 90% of revenue, and poaching surged.
The blunt truth: without tourism, conservation fails.
“Impact safaris aren’t a trend — they’re survival.”
A Wider Movement
Thornybush is part of a growing industry shift:
- Singita – Guests experience canine anti-poaching units and biodiversity monitoring.
- &Beyond Phinda – Offers rhino notching and pangolin rehabilitation experiences.
- Grootbos – Levies fund restoration of the Cape Floral Kingdom.
- Tswalu Kalahari – Tourism sustains community health and education in remote areas.
The common denominator: lodges making conservation and community work visible to guests — and making it bookable.
Trade Takeaway
For trade partners, the rise of impact safaris is not optional. It’s a shift that secures funding pipelines and meets new traveller expectations.
- Sell with Impact: Position products like Thornybush’s as premium differentiators.
- Educate Clients: Use the numbers — travellers are demanding transparency.
- Future-Proof: Align with operators who can prove measurable outcomes.
- Protect the Pipeline: Remember that tourism revenue is conservation’s lifeblood.
The Safari of Tomorrow
Impact safaris are more than stories — they are strategies for survival. Guests want journeys that matter. The trade needs products that deliver resilience.
The message is clear: without tourism, there is no conservation