Sabi Sabi Collection outlines ‘succession plan’ to help protect safari industry

The safari industry needs a “succession plan” to ensure it’s protected in the future, according to the marketing director of South African brand Sabi Sabi Collection.

Speaking at 3Sixty Luxury Marketing’s annual Conserving What Matters event last month, Jacques Smit said: “[The safari industry] is so vulnerable and impacted by decisions made by people all over the world, so for us to conserve our industry, we need a succession plan.”

To do this, the brand focuses on fostering young talent.

He said: “We need to involve the next generation and make sure they are madly in love with hospitality, tourism and conservation.

“So if I go to them and say that rhinos are under threat and if this doesn’t stop then we’ll lose rhinos, [the next generation] will have an impact on our industry.”

The brand, which operates four lodges in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, offers 10 young people from neighbouring towns each year the chance to join an eight-month training programme, equipping them with skills to work in the hospitality industry.

To further protect the industry, Smit highlighted the importance of widening people’s understanding of what makes a safari special.

“People phone and they want to go and see the big five,” he said. “When they come to us, they’re going to realize there’s more to Africa than just five animals. They’re also going to realize every small little insect, mouse and pollinator plays a massive role in this entire ecosystem.”

By showcasing a larger breadth of wildlife, instead of just the big five, Smit hopes guests will come back “year in and year out” to learn about “birds, grasses, trees and folklore”, helping contribute to the brand’s conservation efforts.

Sabi Sabi Collection also “engages with our communities daily” to find out what is needed to ensure local people “link tourism to benefit”.

Smit described the brand’s relationship with the local communities as “a partnership” that supplies people with “opportunities, land and water” to create their own businesses.

He hopes that, through continued community engagement, people will feel supported and will “show and inspire [others] that this is the side of the [safari] industry that is also available to you”.