Despite the spate of negative and often sensationalist reports that are flooding the tourist industry in South Africa, people are still drawn to the scenic beauty, incredible hospitality, diversity, and uniqueness that a visit to any area in South Africa offers. Negative publicity in the South African tourism market has not stopped many tourism groups and organisations from learning from the past and looking towards a safer, greener, more sustainable and eco-friendly future.

Located far from any big cities, or towns and the associated urban safety and security issues, one of the tourist destinations fully invested in a ‘green’ initiative is Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve. Few of the visitors, spending precious time amongst the awe-inspiring Cederberg Mountain Range, surrounded by the splendour of nature and the care of our resort staff, realise the lengths to which the Kagga Kamma Team are willing to go to conserve this experience for future generations.

In 2013 Kagga Kamma was awarded the RCI Green Award at the RCI Annual Oscas Ceremony for installing a Solar Photovoltaic hybrid energy system. This system provides around-the-clock environmentally-friendly power to the entire resort. This prestigious award recognised Kagga Kamma’s commitment to a cleaner, more environmentally-friendly future where hazardous emissions are reduced and as a result so is the resort’s carbon footprint. This award recognises the role Kagga Kamma is playing to keep this untouched wilderness area unspoiled and natural – a place where people can truly escape the rigours of modern living.

The water we have on earth and are using now was used by the dinosaurs millions of years ago. This is because the earth recycles its water and the amount of water on earth is constant and cannot be increased or decreased.  This is as good a reason as any, as human beings, to follow in the footsteps of the way the earth recycles and takes care of water, to look after and guard our water resources for future generations. Kagga Kamma is very aware that water is precious and must be conserved and for this reason, it has a number of ‘good’ water initiatives in place. Where possible the water at Kagga Kamma is recycled and ‘Soft Water’ signs are displayed in the lodge rooms. Water from the swimming pool and ablution blocks is used to irrigate the gardens. Regular maintenance ensures that water is not lost through leaking taps or toilets and all showerheads have been replaced by water-saving showerheads that use up to 50% less water than a regular free-flow shower head.

“Amazing resources, wonderful architecture, excellent service, beautiful environments, and spectacular location – we can see the illusion of the big cities from the distance but when we come closer all of what we saw were just the huge stones. The facilities in this resort utilities solar cells for heating in winter for air-conditioning in summer and we went to the residence of the ancient people and learned from the 6000 years paintings that how they lived and what they believed.” – tidnoisalee: – July 2019 (Tripadvisor)

Kagga Kamma believes in enriching, and being enriched, by the local community. Most of the resort’s employees are people from the local community; in fact, 60% of the staff grew up at Kagga Kamma. This tight-knit community and their families are fully invested in the green future of Kagga Kamma and have enriched the area and the resort with their incredible array of talents. Kagga Kamma’s guide, Jason Scholtz, is an avid herpetologist and an authority on Bushman culture, especially their paintings. Hester Mankopaan is the leader of the Witzenberg Riel dance group, an initiative that teaches Riel or Rieldans, which has its roots in the Khoisan traditions and helps keep children off the streets. Many members of the local community have their art and crafts displayed in our curio shop. Staff at Kagga Kamma are encouraged to seek professional development opportunities both in and outside of the workplace and this benefits both the employees and employers at Kagga Kamma. This small, close community ensures that our guests feel welcome, safe and at home while enjoying the unique Cederberg area and the diverse types of experiences offered.

“A once in a lifetime experience. One that cannot be matched. From spectacular customer service to fantastic meals! Your staff are top-shelf quality! Your venue is breath-taking. We cannot say thank you enough for everything.” – bjackson2019: – July 2019 (Tripadvisor)

Kagga Kamma sees a positive future for tourism in South Africa and is committed and determined to leave a legacy for all future generations.