The Thornybush collection of luxury lodges, through its non-profit arm Thornybush Community, is extending the reach of its successful community development initiatives in 2024, expanding programmes in enterprise development, education and conservation awareness.
Established in 2005, Thornybush Community has made exceptional strides in advancing its purpose of empowering and uplifting communities in the area surrounding the collection’s five lodges in the Greater Kruger National Park.
Through the NPO, the Thousand Herbs and Vegetable Garden was founded as an all-female agribusiness supplying seasonal herbs and vegetables to luxury lodges in the area. The project employs five women who supply six lodges and walk-in customers from the community.
Since proper invoicing records were established, the project has generated R1.4 million (€68 000) in sales revenue. Much of this has been reinvested in the business, allowing for the construction of shade-net tunnels, irrigation equipment, water-storage tanks and pumps.
Raising the next generation
To support the education of young learners, Thornybush recruits deserving students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who have graduated from the SA College for Tourism’s bursary programme.
“To date, Thornybush lodges have provided 76 one-year paid internships, and 17 previous graduates are now full-time employees at Thornybush in various professional roles. In 2024, the programme will expand to include 'Ready to Work' career workshops for departing interns,” said Thornybush Community GM Lindsay Hanekom.
In 2022, Thornybush Community, under its Kids in Conservation project, collaborated with Conservation South Africa (CSA) to launch the CSA Scouts Programme.
In line with the programme, children from surrounding communities embark on a curriculum developed by CSA that incorporates skills such as self-awareness, self-management, creativity, problem solving and decision making. These skills are then coupled with conservation awareness through Thornybush Private Nature Reserve.
The initiative includes an annual camp where 12 local scouts experience a two-night, three-day stay at Thornybush Nature Reserve, aimed at achieving their CSA Scout badges.
“Scouts are exposed to the Anti-Poaching Unit, learn tracking and bushveld signs, gain an understanding of ecosystem importance, identify medicinal plants, and go on game drives with skilled rangers and trackers,” said Hanekom.
In 2023, the Kids in Conservation programme expanded to include a Lodge Immersion programme that combines the transformative wildlife experience with the inner workings of the tourism and hospitality industries.
“Nine Thornybush staffs' children were invited to spend a weekend at one of the lodges, where they participated in Careers in Conservation workshops and explored digital camera photography,” Hanekom said.
This year, the Kids in Conservation programme is expanding further to establish the Kids in Conservation Club.
“Children from the Lodge Immersion programme will be invited to join this exclusive club, meeting four times a year for conservation excursions. The 2024 calendar includes visits to the Graeme Naylor Museum in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre and Hoedspruit Reptile Centre in Hoedspruit, and a boat trip at the Blyde River Canyon,” Hanekom explained.
