Fair Trade Certified and Forward-Thinking: Kwalata’s Inclusive Safari Vision
SATSA Member: Kwalata Game Lodge - 3169
Product: Accommodation
Website: www.kwalata.co.za
Fair Trade Tourism (FTT) certified and proudly rooted in community upliftment, Kwalata Game Lodge continues to set the standard for responsible and inclusive tourism in South Africa. Located just an hour from Johannesburg in the heart of the Dinokeng Game Reserve, Kwalata offers access to Big Five territory, sweeping plains, and one of the country’s premier birding sites — but its impact reaches far beyond the safari experience.
Following a successful audit, Kwalata has once again earned its Fair Trade Tourism certification, reaffirming its commitment to sustainability, ethical business practices, and social responsibility. The recertification highlights years of investment in habitat restoration, wildlife conservation, enterprise development, and youth skills training — all woven into the daily life of the lodge and the surrounding communities.
In line with its dedication to inclusive travel, Kwalata recently partnered with Sound Safaris to host a first-of-its-kind sensory game drive for a group of visually impaired teenagers. Over the course of three days, participants tuned into the wild through sensitive microphones, headphones, and amplifiers — creating an immersive soundscape of the bush. The experience was enriched by touch and scent — from feeling animal hides to driving through dung piles — offering a rare and vivid encounter with nature through non-visual senses.
Experiences like these are often inaccessible to people with disabilities due to high costs and limited government support, making Kwalata’s initiative a powerful call to action for corporate South Africa to get involved through CSI (Corporate Social Investment) programmes.
Kwalata’s facilities are accessible to people with disabilities, and the lodge ensures accurate, clear communication about accessibility for all guests — including the elderly, parents with young children, and those with special needs. This aligns with FTT’s rigorous standards and reflects Kwalata’s broader mission to make tourism more inclusive, more ethical, and more impactful. Kwalata Game Lodge is also a proud member of, and certified as, 'Recommended Accommodation' by BirdLife South Africa.
Whether through immersive safaris, community collaborations, or sustainable operations, Kwalata Game Lodge continues to lead by example — offering travel that’s as meaningful as it is memorable.
Location: Dinokeng Game Reserve, Gauteng
Learn more: www.kwalata.co.za
Explore Sound Safaris here.
Find out more about Kwalata Community Development Initiatives here.
