Kuzuko Lodge

In the Xhosa language, Kuzuko means ‘place of glory’ and Kuzuko Lodge really is glorious; here, you’re invited to enjoy world-class service, exceptional cuisine and a range of natural treatments from the bliss of your infinity pool, with 
uninterrupted views of the Karoo Plains and the majestic Winterberg mountains. Surrounded by 5* comforts and holistic pampering, you can watch elephants and buffalos roam while burnt orange sunsets stretch out over the horizon. It’s what safari dreams are made of…..

But this thriving haven in South Africa’s third largest national park, is the result of a remarkable transformation. Previously this was an area besieged by 70% unemployment and widespread poverty and an abandoned game reserve, ravaged by years of goat farming. (As we know, when people are fighting for survival, finding enough food to stay alive tends to take priority over respect for wildlife.) But Dr. Kim Tan (a remarkable man who is also behind the Transformational Business Network – of which Nueluxe is a proud member) saw the potential for sustainable enterprise to alter the course of the story dramatically. Working with a team from Legacy Hotels, Dr Kim began to organise the employment of local people to set about bringing the game reserve back to life. This included 70 men (who had previously struggled to find work to support their families) being employed to put up around 70 miles of fencing around the reserve and subsequently assisted to form their own fencing business.)

Now, after years of sustainable development, this is a healthy, prosperous, malaria-free zone where local businesses are flourishing and young adults from broken families and difficult backgrounds continue to be selected for training programmes geared towards ecotourism jobs. All children in the area are now enrolled in schools and, for the many who were left orphaned, Kuzuko offers the chance of a promising future as part of this large extended family. Freddie is one such individual who is now a very proud Kuzuko ranger – hear from here (hyperlink to film)

It has been 150-yrs since these animals roamed here and in 2007, when there was sufficient game to sustain their numbers, predators were introduced…just as nature intended.

Kuzuko Lodges enables guests to relax in the knowledge that your stay is not only helping to fund continued conservation work and further empowering the local community’s development, but also ensuring local youngsters are in school.  It’s what you might call luxury for the soul, an unforgettable experience which might raise your expectations of hotels forever more. You could well bump into high profile ‘friends’  of Kuzuko Lodge during your stay and end up going on safari with members of the South African rugby team.

Further reasons to book a stay at Kuzuko Lodge:

• It has been estimated that 10 foreign tourists create 1 local job – with a minimum of 100 tourists per week, that’s over 500 jobs being created in one of the poorest provinces in South Africa.
• Staff hold shares in the business providing them with a stake in profits and vested interest in long-term success.
• The local Mayor describes Kuzuko Lodge as the most significant contributor to the economy of the district in recent years.