preserving our heritage
CONSERVATION
Establishing and maintaining basic standards that protect our environment and community is important to life at Kapama. Understanding the relationships between the reserve and its ecosystem help ensure that the natural functioning of the reserve is not disturbed.
anti-poaching unit
Kapama Private Game Reserve protects the biodiversity on the reserve through the established Anti-Poaching Unit (APU). The head of Kapama security and our APU, together with his dedicated team patrols the high-risk areas of the reserve daily and conduct foot patrols in search of wildlife traps and poachers. To combat poaching, the Kapama APU has been using tracking dogs as part of its anti-poaching initiative. There are currently two male bloodhounds that have been trained to track poachers. These tracking dogs traverse the Kapama Reserve and surrounding areas. Kapama also works closely with law enforcement and supports anti-poaching units on surrounding reserves in numerous ways. It also conducts occupational safety inspections regularly.
CARBON OFFSETTING
As a Private Game Reserve operating four lodges, Kapama understands the impact burning fossil fuels in our everyday operations has on the environment, contributing to an increase in greenhouse emissions.
Greenhouse gases trap heat and make the planet warmer. The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation for human consumption. These additional greenhouse gases are resulting in catastrophic climate changes across the globe.
Kapama is committed to implementing projects and installing energy-efficient equipment to reduce our emissions, as much as possible – such as renewable energy installations, solar panels and buildings to optimize energy.
To help power Kapama River Lodge, a total of 9,425 square meters were prepared for a major solar plant. A total of 23 solar tables were installed, each holding 54 solar panels, totalling 1242. Panels were placed at an optimum angle of 20 degrees to ensure maximum solar efficiency. This has resulted in Kapama being able to reduce their carbon footprint by over 32% from 2021 levels, in practical terms, this reduction in carbon emissions is roughly the equivalent of planting thirty to forty thousand trees each year!
With the extensive renovations to Kapama River Lodge’s suites, which began in June of 2020, one of the most significant aspects of the project was to ensure we lived up to our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint. We committed to installing low energy-consuming inverter air-conditioners and a water heating system, to service the newly renovated rooms and reduce our energy consumption. The water heating system includes low-pressure solar water panels and a heating plant resulting in 80% less consumption than conventional heat pumps.
All our initiatives serve as a basis for Kapama to save water, improve recycling and waste management and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. If we all work together for the greater good of our planet and environment, we can all live healthy, happy lives within the resource limit of our beautiful world to help preserve and conserve nature for generations to come.
biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of plant and animal life in our world or a particular habitat that is considered to be important and desirable. All Earth’s species work together to survive and maintain their ecosystems. Much of the Earth’s biodiversity, however, is in jeopardy due to human consumption and other activities that disturb and even destroy ecosystems. Conservation efforts are necessary to preserve biodiversity and protect endangered species and their habitats. That is why Private Reserves, like Kapama, play a huge role in conserving and protecting our natural resources across multiple ecosystems.
As a big 5 game reserve in the Greater Kruger and Part of Conservation and Preservation we understand the importance of our Biodiversity.
We plan to protect it through . . . .
- Being an Educator. To educate our guests on the importance of not only National Parks and Game reserves but every single part of our environment and our existence in it.
- Being a Collaborator: A Park ecologist that can ensure the balance of the Plants, animals, insects and microorganisms and prevent the destruction of it. Kapama Private Game Reserve works closely with Agricultural Research Council (ARC) member, Dr Mike Peel, annually in aiding the Kapama management team with his dedicated research. Dr Peel has developed a research program that benefits the management of wildlife in private reserves. Kapama has an agreement with the Animal Production Institute of the Agricultural Research Council. Kapama must monitor the natural resources on the reserve, to ensure a safe and sustainable environment and to preserve the wildlife habitat including the biodiversity on the reserve; after all, it is one of South Africa’s greatest assets. (ARC).
- Being Ethical: We at Kapama have strict rules and regulations when it comes to nature. It is extremely important to be ethical and not place our interests above those of nature.
sustainability
Responsible tourism is tourism which: minimizes negative social, economic and environmental impacts. Kapama Private Game Reserve takes our responsibility to our environment, local communities, our guests, partners and our staff family very seriously. We constantly review our policies and strive to make improvements wherever possible.
Sustainability and being responsible global citizens are at the heart of everything we do at Kapama Private Game Reserve. Our world’s natural resources are at risk, and finding and maintaining ecological balance is one of our core values.
Our goal is to not only ensure our business practices are sustainable. We want to ensure that our business helps nature thrive beyond mere sustainability and become leaders in responsible, low-carbon ecotourism. To keep fulfilling the current generation’s needs without compromising the needs of a future generation. To do this we are getting a lot more practical in our solutions.
At Kapama, we have taken the next step in our sustainability journey to reduce our impact on the environment, lower our carbon footprint and increase our conservation efforts, protecting valuable savannah ecosystems which in themselves are critically important carbon sinks.
We are very proud to announce that our newly completed solar plant was successfully commissioned and is the first of its size for Safari Lodges in South Africa. The plant was calculated to ensure sufficient power to run the biggest of our four lodges, Kapama River Lodge.
The solar plant produces close to 700 000 kW per day. This is enough to power River Lodge during the day and push additional power into the grid that is taken out again after sunset. This has resulted in Kapama being able to reduce their carbon footprint by over 32% from 2021 levels, in practical terms, this reduction in carbon emissions is roughly the equivalent of planting thirty to forty thousand trees each year!
Our guests contribute towards sustainability as a result of our efforts. And our efforts include a positive impact across a broad range of global sustainable development goals. We employ more than 590 people, and our sustainability projects have opened up new work opportunities. With an unemployment rate of 34% in South Africa, every job created is essential and can feed up to eight people per household.
You are part of our story when you stay at Kapama Private Game Reserve. You are contributing to a greener future and improving your environmental and social footprint. We can’t wait to welcome you in luxury and clean air, with the knowledge that your carbon footprint when staying with us is benchmarked against global best practices in the tourism industry.
For more on our Solar initiative at River Lodge – click here
- To at all times put people and our planet first, in all interactions with guests, partners, businesses, as well as with our staff
- To increase the positive impact of tourism on the Greater Kruger area
- To create truly ethical, memorable and exceptional travel experiences for our guests so that leave Kapama with a changed travel expectation
- We have a policy of always using local suppliers wherever we can, to bring as much income to the local area as possible
- We make use of small, owner-managed companies that are based in and around the Hoedspruit and surrounding area
- We also personally engage with these companies to establish where and how the communities they visit have been supported by their business
Single-use plastic: As a team, we’re constantly finding ways and working hard to eliminate plastics in our day-today-operations, particularly single-use plastics. This includes removing the use of plastic straws, removing single-use amenities in all the rooms and only using refill containers. We buy fresh produce like loose fruit and vegetables directly from the local farmers which are plastic-free, thereby reducing the amount of pre-packaging. Our on-site water recycling plant allows each Lodge to significantly reduce the number of plastic water bottles consumed. Not only have we removed plastic water bottles from rooms but in the dining halls as well. By supplying glass bottles of water that are filled from our water recycling plant we have reduced the number of plastic water bottles by over 10,000 a month. All our lunch packs are served in bio-degradable and environmentally friendly containers.
Recycling and composting: We recycle as many materials as possible including paper, glass, cardboard, cans, and plastic.
Energy use: We make use of energy-saving light bulbs and our villas with private pools are heated via solar panels
Solar Projects: The solar project at Kapama River Lodge, our biggest Lodge, was completed in 2022. This has the capacity to take River Lodge close to 80% off the grid
Kapama Karula and Kapama Southern Camp solar plant was completed in mid-2023