Tanda Tula Foundation, Timbavati Reserve

Doing more at Tanda Tula

Foundation

Our community development programs are largely associated with education, but also provide support for small business development, the establishment of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and encouraging environmental awareness.

Tanda Tula Adult Literacy Program
Established in 2012, the Tanda Tula Education Foundation is headed by Natalie McFarlane and has its roots in adult literacy. The foundation offers everything from basic literacy and computer lessons, to higher education and important life skills.

Tanda Tula Scholarship Program
Our scholarship program is 100% funded by Tanda Tula (Pty) Ltd and currently provides full funding for six children belonging to our team. The children attend Southern Cross Schools (SCS), a private IEB school based in Hoedspruit educating learners to the highest academic levels. The school provides a parallel education in conservation and sustainability as well as environment and community development.
Proudly, our program also has two university students on full scholarships: Reloef Khoza is studying Aeronautical Engineering at The University of Witwatersrand; Vusi Dlamini, an intern at Safari Camp and the team member with the biggest smile, is studying Business Communications through the University of South Africa.

Conservation

Responsible tourism is the foundation upon which our conservation efforts, community programs and research projects have been built.
We passionately support and contribute to various important projects in the Timbavati and Greater Kruger National Park with the support of you, our guests. By visiting regions like ours, you are investing in the future of Africa and ensuring that it will thrive. Each guest contributes a daily Conservation Levy which supports the Greater Kruger National Park conservation projects including anti-poaching and security as well as sustainable development for communities.

Timbavati Rhino Protectors
The Timbavati Wildlife Protection Programme initiated an anti-rhino poaching initiative focused on effectively detecting and deterring poaching incursions into our reserve. Trained and dedicated field guides spend their lives patrolling and protecting rhino and other endangered species in the Greater Kruger area where they are under immense threat. We support the Timbavati security efforts with our own “eyes on the ground” and by regular communication with the field ranger team.

Vulture Research
The Timbavati has the largest vulture nesting colony in the entire Greater Kruger National Park. The Vulture Nest Monitoring Project is done in collaboration with the Endangered Wildlife Trust of South Africa. While on safari with us in the area, record the location of vultures you see and share these with your guide or the camp manager to assist with data gathering which contributes toward the protection of this species.

Leopard Research
The Timbavati has partnered with Panthera, the only organisation in the world devoted exclusively to the conservation of the world’s 38 wild cat species and their ecosystems. Tanda Tula has two camera traps surrounding Safari Camp and Field Camp which assist in establishing and estimating the leopard population of the area as well as documenting established territories for these elusive cats.

Ground-Hornbill Research
This program, run by the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology and operating across the Timbavati and Klaserie reserves, aims to create a better understanding of the breeding ecology and home ranges of this endangered bird species. We provide a monthly fuel donation for the field vehicle of the Ground-Hornbill Project, and our guides provide feedback of all sightings to the researchers by recording them on the Cybertracker system.