Beyond the untamed landscapes and breathtaking wildlife, our commitment extends to fostering meaningful connections with the local community.
Founded on the principles of responsible tourism and sustainable development, Kings Camp is more than a wildlife haven; it’s a sanctuary where the bonds between nature and community thrive. Learn all about our community initiatives, where collaboration, empowerment, and shared values form the foundation of a collective effort towards a harmonious coexistence. Discover how, together with our dedicated partners and the vibrant local communities, we ensure that the spirit of Kings Camp resonates far beyond the borders of our pristine wilderness.
Established in 2000
Rotary Partnership
The Unique Rotary African Safari project was established in 2000. It aims to support charities in the Limpopo Province. This collaboration between Kings Camp and the Rotary Club of Polokwane has led to annual safaris, open to Rotarians and non-Rotarians alike, benefiting communities and charities. Initiatives include supporting an Environmental Education Centre, aiding the Siloe School for the Blind, providing water infrastructure to rural schools, delivering solar power to rural homes, donating wheelchairs, supporting the Abraham Kriel Orphanage, contributing to Mozambique Cyclone Disasters and more. Recognizing Kings Camp’s contributions, the Rotary Foundation awarded us the “Paul Harris Fellow.”
Hospitality Training Programme
Motaung Hospitality Training
Kings Camp is proud to support one of our chefs, Lindiwe Mathebula in her new business. Motaung Hospitality Training is a school based locally to us in Acornhoek which is where many of our staff are from. Lindiwe’s goal is to help the youth get a qualification, internships and employment within the hospitality industry. We are all very proud of her accomplishment and community spirit and look forward to seeing how Motaung progresses.
Conservation Through Photography
The Wild Shots Outreach Programme
Kings Camp Private Game Reserve takes immense pride in its partnership with Wild Shots Outreach, a programme that opens doors for students to embark on exhilarating game drives and develop their photographic skills. This exceptional initiative primarily focuses on high school students from government schools and unemployed youth residing on the border of the Kruger National Park. Through photography, the Wild Shots Outreach programme aims to engage and inspire these young individuals, offering them new skills and a transformative connection with the natural world.
The Timbavati Foundation
In the Spirit of Ubuntu
The Timbavati Foundation was started almost 20 years ago by the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve (TPNR) and the de Villiers family, as a “bush” school to help educate children of staff in the reserve. In 2010, the Timbavati Foundation was registered as a Public Benefit Organisation, and since then has been funded by various sponsors, the largest of which was the Timbavate Private Nature Reserve. From humble beginnings, the Timbavati Foundation moved to vastly upgraded facilities located outside the TPNR known as the Timbavati Environmental School. This new facility provides overnight accommodation for students and their teachers. The bush school today hosts 64 local schools that reap the benefits of having access to it.
The foundation is steeped in the spirit of Ubuntu and works extensively to uplift the lives of communities neighbouring the TPNR via a series of ongoing outreach programmes based on 4 pillars:
Education
Conservation & Environmental Awareness
Community Upliftment & Social Care
Healthcare
Thanks to the Foundation:
6,800 people now have water due to borehole installations.
16,224 meals given annually to school students.
64 Schools accommodated annually at the Environmental School.
14,200 Students benefit from veggie gardens for self-sustenance.
4,500 Students have rain harvesting water equipment for veggie gardens.
+1,000 students now have safe and hygienic toilets.
±40,000 students have visited the TPNR Graeme Naylor museum as part of the ongoing educational programme.
The Foundation Needs Your Support
Make a Donation
The Timbavati Foundation depends entirely on the support of individuals, foundations, and companies to ensure the ongoing success of its various programmes.
As a donor you will receive the satisfaction of knowing that your generous contribution will be used, in the spirit of Ubuntu, to give underprivileged South Africans a grounding in environmental education, better healthcare, sustainable living and a fighting chance to make their mark in our young democracy.
