Projects We Support

Conservation is not a line in a brochure here — it is the reason the wildlife you come to see is still here to see. The clearest way we put that into practice is a small handful of long-standing relationships, each in a different shape. None of them are sponsorships of convenience; all four are projects we have been working with for years.

Daktari Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage — every booking, R50

The contribution that runs through every stay: every booking with Sausage Tree adds R50 to Daktari Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage. It is added quietly on your behalf — a small amount on a single booking and a meaningful one across a year of them.

Daktari is close to home for us in more ways than one. The connection runs through our own team — our sous chef, Kabelo, first came to Daktari as a child, returned to work there as a cook, and has been part of the Sausage Tree kitchen since 2023. The school brings rural children into the bush for week-long environmental-education residencies, and runs a working orphanage for animals that cannot be released back to the wild. Many guests choose to visit — for families especially, it is the moment conservation stops being abstract.

Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit — support on the ground

The Black Mambas are an all-women anti-poaching unit recruited from the local communities around our reserve. The unit was recognised with the United Nations Environment Programme Champions of the Earth Award in 2015, and continues to operate on a deterrence-and-intelligence model that has correlated with measurable reductions in poaching incidents in the area. We support the unit’s work — they are part of why the rhino, elephant and big cat populations you come to see are still here to see.

Nourish Eco-Village — visit, learn, contribute

Nourish is a community and sustainability project in nearby Hoedspruit — a working example of community-led tourism that pairs cultural exchange with practical eco-design. We don’t fund Nourish; we promote visits to it. A morning at Nourish is one of the most-requested guest add-ons we arrange, and the entry fees from guest visits go directly to the project. If a Nourish stop appeals, mention it when you book and we will work it into your itinerary.

Pack for a Purpose — members since opening

Sausage Tree is a member of Pack for a Purpose, an initiative that lets travellers carry a small quantity of supplies — schoolbooks, basic medical kit items, sports equipment — in their luggage to support projects at their destination. If you have a few kilos of space in your bag, please get in touch ahead of arrival for the current Daktari and Nourish supply lists. It is one of the most direct ways a single suitcase can do something useful for the place you are visiting.

Every booking with Sausage Tree contributes R50 to Daktari Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage.