Who We List
Why do we list some places and not others?
We don’t set a single or multiple standard for what is ethical, what is responsible. Rather, we start with looking at what the establishment is already doing and ask them what they still intend to do. Being ethical and being responsible are so multi-faceted and often, in being more responsible or ethical in one area, you become less responsible or ethical in another. It is not, we feel, our remit to impose standards on establishments to which they must adhere in order to be listed. Rather they should set out what they feel the business can support and set their own goals.
This approach ensures the relationship between the guide and the establishment is honest and transparent. We are not interested in forcing a one size fits all checklist onto a diverse range of properties. Instead, we look for a genuine desire to improve and a clear vision for how that business impacts the community and the environment around it.
The focus on independent establishments
We tend not to list establishments that form part of a large group. For instance, we will not list a hotel that forms part of a large chain, no matter how ethical it may be, nor will we list services that are part of a national group. This includes most SANParks accommodation, unless a specific site is really special. The focus is always towards the independent and the ethical.
We believe that independent, owner-run businesses are the true heart of the South African travel experience. These places have a personal touch and a unique character that corporate groups cannot replicate. You can browse our full collection of these unique properties on our all listings page.
Moving beyond tokenism
We will not list an establishment simply because it is ethical in some small way. For example, many or even most bush camps are solar-powered because, frankly, it is cheaper, quieter, and more convenient than a diesel generator. That in itself does not make a bush camp ethical. The bush camp would also need to demonstrate a commitment to increase its ethicality and responsibility and, importantly, be seen to be taking real steps to make those commitments real.
Our role, then, is to shine a light on those establishments that have a genuine, engaging commitment in everything they do in their business to become more ethical and responsible, in such a way that makes sense for the context, budget, and circumstances of that business. What is ethical and responsible in central Cape Town is totally different from what is ethical and responsible in rural Limpopo. If we feel that there is a commitment, but no real action, or worse no real commitment and just tokenism, we would not list a place or even delist a place we had previously listed.