Singita Grumeti Reserves, Tanzania

Finalist, Conservation Award 2010

The Singita Grumeti Reserves concession spans over 350,000 acres of untouched wilderness in northern Tanzania. It forms part of the Serengeti Mara ecosystem on the western corridor of the Serengeti National Park, Africa's leading World Heritage Site.
Each of its three lodges - Singita Sasakwa, Sabora and Faru Faru - is strategically positioned on the renowned migratory route traversed annually by more than a million wildebeest. The plains are home to large herds of game which provide incredible wildlife sightings all year round.

The primary motivation behind the establishment of Singita Grumeti Reserves and its lodges was to protect this environmentally critical and extraordinarily beautiful part of the Serengeti eco-system. The lodges were established to generate sufficient funds to ensure the long-term sustainability of its conservation efforts, as well as of its closely allied and aligned, Neighbour Outreach Programme.

Singita Grumeti Reserves represents a model of sustainable, self-funded conservation, in the process of becoming a reality.

Judges' Verdict
Singita Grumeti Reserves operates within an area that is one of the last greatest wildebeest migration routes left on earth. Thus, the company takes conservation very seriously and has a long-established track record of conservation best practice. All Singita Grumeti Reserves' operating profits are ploughed back into conservation and community benefit schemes. Its work is based on three pillars. First, wildlife conservation including the establishment of an anti-poaching unit in collaboration with the Tanzanian Wildlife Division. The unit comprises 120 game scouts who prevent illegal hunting and also conduct wildlife monitoring in the area. Singita Grumeti Reserves has also been actively involved in the re-introduction to the area of native species such as the black rhinoceros.

The second pillar is that of Community Outreach. Singita Grumeti reserves offers financial support for children's schooling, including the provision of all physical materials needed. It provides communities with potable water, educates on sustainable land use, and grants support for the growth of small business and farmers, such as the Vegetable Co-operative, which includes some 100 small-scale farms providing produce to Singita lodges.

The third pillar is education. Singita Grumeti has built an Environmental Education Centre for local youth and has well-structured guest education programmes.

"Being short-listed for the Conservation section of the WTTC's Tourism for Tomorrow Awards serves to highlight and recognise endeavours of this nature and we are honoured to have been so recognised."
Luke Bailes, CEO of Singita Game Reserves