Women-only safaris are gaining popularity across Africa but not for the reasons traditionally marketed by the travel industry.

“Forget empowerment and focus on possibility. Women don’t need companies to tell them they’re strong – they already know that. What they need are experiences that meet them where they are,” says Nadine Smith, co-creator of the Kalahari Desert Women’s Safari & Expedition at Natural Selection.

These safaris break away from the high-intensity, bucket-list-driven model that has long defined the industry and instead focus on immersion and flexibility. “It’s not about avoiding men; it’s about space,” explains Gaby Grieveson who helped develop Natural Selection’s women-only expedition. “A space to move through the wilderness differently at a pace that allows for depth and reflection.”

Smith says: “It’s really about being yourself as a woman – free from any pressures; free from routine. You get those endorphins flowing with adventure but you also slow down. We have moments where we say, ‘Just walk for 100 metres and take five minutes on your own’. And it’s amazing – you can pray, meditate, sing to yourself or just lie down and stare at the sky.”

Women-focused safari operators are also rethinking industry norms – from hiring all-female guiding teams to providing solo female travellers with environments where they feel comfortable. “For the solo female traveller, it’s not an obvious choice to come to Africa, let’s be honest,” says James Wilson of Desert & Delta Safaris. “But, when you arrive in our camps and lodges, it makes all the difference if there are women in senior positions running the camp.”

With the rise of female-focused travel, more safari operators are expected to introduce women-only itineraries. However, there is a risk of marketing these trips in outdated ways – either as “girl power” experiences or emotional awakenings.

“You don’t have to throw the word ‘empowerment’ into it,” says Smith. “The experience will do the work if it’s designed well.”