Safari Conversations - the Singita podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

A species in a downward spiral. Not cute or cuddly, but vultures play a crucial role as nature's clean-up crew. In this episode, Dr. Gareth Tate, the Birds of Prey Program Manager for the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), chats with Ben Nichol (Conservation Impact Lead for Singita Lowveld Trust) (SLT) about vulture conservation. They discuss their role in ecosystems, the threats they face, and what's driving the alarming decline.

Fast facts:
• There are 23 species of vultures worldwide; 11 migrate through Africa.
• Vultures can clean up an impala carcass (40kg) in just 10 minutes.
• India's vulture population plummeted by 98%.
• In SA, white-backed vultures have declined by 95% in 20 years.
• A single poisoning event can wipe out 50-100 vultures, along with hyenas, jackals, and lions.
• Several species are heading towards extinction and are classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered globally.

We spell out the African vulture crisis – the major impact of poisoning (and secondary poisoning); habitat loss; collisions with power lines; and illegal poaching for belief-based medicine. It's not all doom-and-gloom, as Gareth sees real hope for the future.

Hear about EWT's amazing conservation efforts - "vulture safe zones"; rapid response to poisoning; tracking technology (over 400 birds across huge ranges); and a new 'Vulture Ambulance' in the Greater Kruger Park, with an almost 100% success rate with rescued birds.

Every donation funds field staff, poisoning response, rehabilitation, the Raptor Emergency Fund, and tracking satellites. The SLT supports the EWT Large Raptor and Wildlife Poisoning Rapid Response programs. Singita Guides assist with rapid response to poisoning. SLT aims to offer secure habitats, contributing to the Vulture Safe Zone Alliance. www.ewt.org.za EWT Saving a Species: Vultures · Singita Lowveld Trust · Donate to the Singita Lowveld Trust · Saving a Species of Concern · Wildlife reports from Singita Sabi Sand · Vulture Day - Home · Singita website

Linky Nkuna was born and raised in Justicia, near Singita Sabi Sand, and started her career in education. She is now the Programme Manager for Singita Lowveld Trust’s (SLT) community programmes. Today we are zooming in on one of the SLT’s programmes, Early Childhood Development (ECD), and the 17 centres it supports in communities surrounding Singita’s lodges in South Africa. Linky chats to Elsa Pallett (Marketing Manager for SLT) about the superstar, Frank Makwakwa, and the Practitioners who are driven by their love for children, and all the ways that the SLT adds value for 1,700 children and 70+ Practitioners.

Linky believes the foundations of a child’s education is between the ages 0-5 years old. As if it’s a house, the ECD centres are starting at the foundation. She wants to give back in a more meaningful manner and play her part in getting young kids ready for school and for long-term outcomes in life.

The first thousand days of a child's development are crucial. Did you know that children absorb 85% of their information in these first 1,000 days?

To sum it up, SLT has focussed on resourcing classrooms of the 17 centres (from 0-5 years old) for years. This is complete with tables, chairs, book corners, books in Shangan, board games, puzzles, and musical instruments. They have started a 'Train the Trainer' program where Frank, a former teacher, visits each ECD centre daily to train the Practitioners, driven by his passion for the program.

What’s next? SLT is about to start a Parental Caregiver program.

We can’t do this alone, collaboration is crucial. SLT works with different funds & trusts in these rural communities such as the Department of Education and the Institute of Early Childhood Development, & Africa Foundation, & the Community Works Program under the Bushbuck Ridge municipality.

SLT worked with ECD specialists who advised on the best resources.

The stories are truly inspiring, like the blind girl’s graduation at the ECD. It's incredible to witness the transformation.

Today’s parents are young girls who carry their babies along with their school bag, walking to school. Hence the need for the UNICEF Parental Caregiver program.

If this conversation interests you and you're visiting Singita’s lodges in South Africa, we’d love to host you on a community visit where you can see these ECD centres and the impact on young minds. The Singita Lowveld Trust (Singita's conservation partner in SA) · Singita Lowveld Trust Early Childhood Development programme · Singita Early Childhood Development · Donate to the ECD programme. 500 USD shared music equipment per centre and 6,300 USD would resource the classrooms at one of the ECD centres · Africa Foundation · Singita website

Conservation success stories from the Ecologist of 27 years.

Singita Photographer and former guide, Ross Couper, chats to Sarah Clegg, Ecologist at Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve in Zimbabwe, where Singita has two lodges: Singita Pamushana & Malilangwe House. The Malilangwe Trust is our conservation partner in Zimbabwe, responsible for far-reaching community and biodiversity projects.

Sarah was the first ecologist at the Malilangwe Trust in 1996 and is responsible for establishing the monitoring systems still in use today. The focus is mainly on black and white rhino populations. They discuss conservation success stories from this Reserve - 130,000 acres of protected wilderness – and how it has evolved over thirty years.

As custodians of the reserve, the Malilangwe Trust manages the conservation of 38 habitats. Black and white rhinos were introduced in 1998, it is now a source for translocations elsewhere in Africa. The Trust developed a blueprint for harmony between conservation and community development in neighbouring villages and ensured a sanctuary for wildlife. https://singita.com/conservation/malilangwe
https://www.facebook.com/themalilangwetrust

Sarah joined the Malilangwe Trust as a MSc student studying the effects of perennial water on the vegetation, and wild herbivores. From 2007 to 2020 she worked as a consulting ecologist, where she focused on rhino monitoring, sustainability, and environmental education for children. She is busy with a Ph.D. in the ecology of black rhino but continues to monitor Malilangwe’s rhino, contributing to rhino management and interventions.

In this episode, Ross and Sarah also talk about restocking the reserve; anti-poaching scouts; rhino relocations; community partnership programmes; and the delicate balancing act in this thriving ecosystem. A fascinating conversation with an ecologist with over 27 years of research and success from one reserve. The work of The Malilangwe Trust in this 130,000 acre reserve in Zimbabwe · Discover the hospitality and ecotourism sode at Singita Pamushana Lodge · Our host and Singita Resident Photographer, Ross Couper · Follow The Malilangwe Trust on Facebook · Singita website

Design and creativity form part of Singita’s DNA. Showcasing the creative talent found in Africa is one of the ways we celebrate the culture and heritage of this continent. Over the last 30 years, Singita has been creating pioneering hospitality experiences, and design has formed a large part of our visible identity. Singita has worked with the same design team for three decades, Cécile & Boyd.

In this episode, host and creative icon, Maps Maponyane, speaks to Geordi da Sousa Costa (co-founder of Cécile & Boyd) and Group Creative Direction at Singita, Georgie Pennington.

In this fascinating and lively conversation, they discuss where the inspiration comes from and how design has evolved naturally at Singita over 30 years, whether that’s new builds or redesigns, and showing off the dynamic creative talent in Africa.

For 12 years, Georgie has been responsible for every detail of the guest experience and delves into what goes into every item that a guest is going to use, which considers all the senses. How's it going to feel? What's the texture going to be? What’s the music or the sound? Or the lack of sound? How does that all fit together? How do we make you feel rested?

The design is always intuitive, considered with an aversion to waste. They discuss how to design with sustainability in mind, or to repurpose and how you open a lodge in Tanzania during a global shutdown.

The African art and design scene is the hero, and both designers source incredible décor and art locally.

Guests either like contemporary or more traditional design and some lodges are on rivers or sandstone cliffs, but it’s the people of Singita and the warm welcomes and teary goodbyes that guests connect with. You can’t describe the feeling you get at Singita.

They also discuss how to design for the future guest and tell some hilarious stories along the way. See more Cecile & Boyd at their website · Follow Cecile & Boyd on Instagram · Singita website

In this episode, well-known travel journalist Richard Holmes talks to Dr. Andrea Ferry, Sustainability Co-ordinator at Singita. They discuss sustainability in the world of luxury travel, and especially safari travel.

Many travellers don't think too carefully about just what's being done to protect the wilderness areas they visit. Part of the problem is deciding how we define sustainability. Is it about offsetting the carbon from your flight to Africa? Is it about supporting local communities while you're here? Or is it about what powers the light bulbs in your suites and fuels the vehicle fuel game drive?
Take a deep dive into sustainability in the luxury safari industry and hear how far-reaching Singita's sustainability ethos is, and how it's being embedded into every aspect of its business - which now spans four African countries.

At Singita, a sustainable world is one in which people enjoy happy, healthy lives within their fair share of the earth’s resources, leaving space for wildlife and wilderness. Singita has also set ambitious goals to further reduce its environmental footprint and play its part in addressing the global climate crisis.

Let's dive in. At Singita Conservation refers to Community, Sustainability & Biodiversity · All Singita's sustainability projects and One Planet Living principles · Click here to browse all Singita's lodges and camps in Africa

Two seasoned photographers on different continents share their views on the role incredible images and emotive videos play in marketing ecotourism in Africa and how they both stumbled into their current careers, almost by accident.
Ross Couper has been with Singita for ten years and is now the resident Content Creator supplying the Marketing team with high-quality images and videos spanning wildlife, lodge interiors, staff portraits, and orphaned rhino rescue missions. Tara Shupe, in the US, is an international humanitarian photographer and filmmaker.
Despite them being in two countries, they have a lot in common - from the way they fell into their current careers to the way they pack, or approach their emotive work, and their passion for wildlife and protecting wilderness areas in Africa for future generations.
Social media has changed the way photographers and filmmakers create content; and they also compare notes on camera equipment and lenses, especially how to pack for long trips in remote places such as Singita Grumeti, in Tanzania.

Join us for an interesting conversation between two professional photographers, or visual storytellers, with a wealth of knowledge whose paths cross in the conservation industry. Tara Shupe gallery and bio · See Ross Couper's wildlife photography · Singita website

This is Safari Conversations – the Singita Podcast.

30 years ago, founder Luke Bailes had a dream of creating a pioneering ecotourism brand that could help save pristine wilderness areas in Africa for future generations.
The first chapter in Singita’s story started when Ebony Lodge opened in the Sabi Sand, in 1993. But truly, it began long before that, on a piece of land his grandfather owned and where they spent holidays as a family at Castleton.

So much has happened in the last 30 years, to where we find ourselves now – owning and managing award-winning lodges across multiple countries in Africa.
And, we are looking to expand our conservation impact even further, working alongside conservation NGO partners.

Welcome to our Podcast – where you’ll meet some of the very talented people who make our life-changing safaris a reality. Singita website

A pangolin is poached from the wild every five minutes. It's reached a tipping point and if we don’t act now, they could disappear in our lifetime. So little is known about this enchanting, solitary mammal covered in scales, yet they’ve quickly become the world’s most trafficked mammal.

The IUCN lists the four Asian species as critically endangered, while the four African species, endangered. All face extinction because of the illegal trade – poached for their scales for Asian medicine; or bush meat in Africa; or a delicacy in Asia. Electrocution (fences) and habitat loss also contribute to the decline.

Not many people have seen a pangolin in the wild (let alone spent 365 days with one, like our guest has).

Singita Sabi Sand Field Guide, Lucy Stofberg, chats to Donald Davis (Programme Coordinator at Pangolin.Africa) about a species in crisis. What makes pangolins special, why they're facing extinction, and how we can help? Donald's work is crucial. From rehabilitating pangolins in their natural habitat, to a swift return to the wild. He also deals with pangolins rescued from poachers. The NGO is working to create a pangolin-safe fence, and runs a telephone alert system (Pangolert).

Singita, and other ecotourism operators, have teamed up with Pangolin.Africa to make the 15-minute Pangolin Guardian course available to any staff. Whether you’re a blogger, lodge owner, ranger, teacher, or CEO there are many ways you can get involved. Educating young children is key to saving pangolins.

When you donate you help rescue and rehab efforts, ensuring that pangolins are treated, and released. That’s what “teaming up to save a species’’ means.
https://www.pangolin.africa/donate

Lucy and Donald share stories of their memorable sightings from South Africa to the Congo Basin. Tune in to this fascinating discussion about pangolin conservation. About Pangolin.Africa and its work · Become a Pangolin Guardian (15-minute course suitable for all ages) · Singita Sabi Sand · Watch Eye of the Pangolin Film. This groundbreaking documentary follows two men on a mission to capture the four species of African pangolins on camera. Fall in love with Pangolin. · Help track sightings of pangolins in the wild or report crime. Pangolert Hotline +27(0)72 726 4654 · See the new Singita Ebony · Wildlife reports from Singita Sabi Sand · Singita website

Get ready to be inspired! In this episode, we're joined by two amazing women from the Grumeti Fund (GF), Singita's conservation partner in Tanzania, Skyler Nuelle (Head - Partnerships & Impact Analysis) and Frida Mollel (Head of Community Outreach Programme).

Frida shares her inspirational story of overcoming cultural barriers to get an education in her Maasai community. Now she's paying it forward, leading programs to transform girls' lives through education in communities surrounding Singita Grumeti, in the western Serengeti.

We're diving into the tough challenges girls here face - from poverty and gender biases favouring boys', to early pregnancy and a lack of mentors. Frida chats about the Grumeti Fund's scholarship program (a game-changer) keeping many more girls in classrooms. They lead empowerment sessions for girls and boys – programs that are completely transforming gender equality in the next generation. The Grumeti Fund also invests in teacher training to improve education.

You'll hear about the epic annual Serengeti Girls Run, where women run through the wilderness to show solidarity and raise funds for women's empowerment.

Join us for an inspiring look at creating change. From Frida's calm grace, to the innovative programs creating opportunities for countless girls in rural Tanzania. This is the power of ecotourism. Follow the Grumeti Fund on Instagram · Read about the GF's community projects in Tanzania supported by Singita · About the Serengeti Girls Run · To support women's empowerment projects, guests can donate here · Singita website

We meet two dynamic women in senior management at Singita Grumeti, Tanzania. Bronwyn Laing (GM at Singita Serengeti) chats to Joyce Moikangoe (Lodge Manager at Singita Sasakwa Lodge) about female leadership and how they lift others as they climb.

Joyce was born in Tanzania, studied in South Africa, then returned home to give back and be a part of something bigger. She joined Singita ten years ago and became the first Tanzanian female lodge manager. Bronwyn started in pharmaceuticals but fell in love with East Africa on a trip. She also studied rhino conservation and a three-month contract turned into six years and a home-from-home.

Tanzania is led by a female president, and the younger girls at Singita believe they can run the world! The narrative here is changing with female leaders everywhere. Here, Singita now employs 220 women in hospitality, 50/50 split of men and women in management. With the right attitude and hard work, staff can progress, and they take great joy in all promotions.

Hear inspiring stories. Like Joyce helping a banakeli (waitress) get a passport so she can start traveling the world. Hear Gekuli's story - from a scholarship recipient to a senior manager, or Dorine - the first Tanzanian yoga instructor. Both managers demonstrate a graceful, humble leadership style true to the Singita family values. They feel a responsibility to set an example, showing women new possibilities. They touch on the importance of work-life balance, and the sense of family and purpose that is at the heart of Singita’s culture. Given the demands of a 24/7 role, self-care practices like yoga, and CrossFit classes with the anti-poaching team help them recharge.

They feel it's a privilege to work in such a setting and don't forget it for a second. From a wasteland 20 years ago, to one of the greatest conservation success stories, thanks to the work of the Grumeti Fund. They are based at Singita Sasakwa Lodge · Grumeti Fund · Conservation at Singita Serengeti · Grumeti region · Lamai region · Dorine Khambi's journey · Singita Sasakwa Lodge · Singita website