Fairly Wild
Tours in Sandton

Support ethical wildlife tourism - take a stand against the exploitation of wildlife, become a member or support one of our ethical, Fairly Wild certified partners.

Stories of the African wilderness fill our imaginations and instil in us a desire to return to the bush to again be a part of its story. The giraffe and the zebra, the eland and the kudu and the hartebeest call for us to witness their glory and their struggle. It is this glory, struggle and undeniable beauty that lures us to venture away from our cities and into the heart of Africa to see Africa as it has been since the beginning of time: wild and free. We want southern Africa’s wild to be free, which is why Fairly Wild has dedicated itself to ensuring that southern Africa’s wildlife is appreciated in all its natural beauty and is treated ethically and with fairness. We believe the only cries on the African landscape should be caused by the wilderness itself. We believe that the southern African tourism industry has a responsibility to ensure that tourists are visiting the African wild as it should be and not as an exploited industry that cruelly abuses wildlife for financial gain. To create a network of certified tourist establishments that guarantee the ethical treatment of wildlife in their care, leading to a southern African tourism industry that in no way exploits, causes harm to or subjects any animal to cruelty or indignity. Through its certification programme, Fairly Wild is committed to raising the awareness and understanding of ethical wildlife tourism in southern Africa and to encourage the southern African tourism industry to at all times consider the rights and dignity of its wildlife. By working to actively recognise and reward its Partners, Fairly Wild hopes to show other organisations the tangible benefits of and demand for ethical wildlife practices. Working closely with these Partners, Fairly Wild will ensure that the public have a reliable and fair tool that allows them to select destinations based on well-regulated information regarding the ethical treatment of wildlife and that aligns with their ethical beliefs. Through rigorously promoting its service, providing accurate and up-to-date information and ensuring partners maintain the high ethical standards required, as set out in the Fairly Wild Principles, Fairly Wild will contribute greatly to reducing the amount of animal abuse, indignity and cruelty found in the southern African tourism industry. Fairly Wild will strive to reach its goals by meeting the needs and expectations of its members and partners with continuous improvements in quality, number of partners, value, new offerings and member/partner satisfaction. By creating a network of certified game lodges and tourist establishments offering accommodation and tourism activities that follow the Fairly Wild Principles on the ethical treatment of wildlife, we offer tourists ethical game viewing options. Tourists who choose Fairly Wild certified establishments can be at peace with the knowledge that the animals they are viewing are truly wild and are not subjected to any of the horrors so prevalent in the wildlife tourism industry, such as hunting, experimentation and the unnecessary confinement of animals within a cage or enclosure. In addition to adhering to the Fairly Wild Principles, Fairly Wild certified organisations are afforded the opportunity to elaborate on any additional activities and policies they may have in place to further contribute to the ethical treatment of wildlife. This is represented through the Fairly Wild Feather system, a system of recognition that highlights initiatives beyond our core nine principles that organisations have in place to further protect the wildlife and natural resources under their management. These feathers cover anything from having an active anti-poaching unit or a grey water system, to providing education or running agricultural projects in local communities. By visiting a Fairly Wild Certified organisation you are showing that you too care for Africa’s wildlife and you are assured that all the wildlife under that lodge’s care are treated with respect and have the minimum amount of human interaction possible. Our Principles address an extensive range of issues and activities. In order to be certified, an organisation will have to adhere to all nine of the Fairly Wild Principles. In this special circumstance, details of and reasons for this will clearly be made on the Partner’s page allowing tourists to make the most informed decision possible. To care for wildlife means that their natural environment and habitat is also protected. We acknowledge that the ethical treatment of wildlife requires a holistic approach and that one can’t protect either the environment, or the wildlife, without working with people. Therefore, our certification encourages and highlights efforts made towards working with local communities as well as sound environmental practices.