Samenvatting

This thesis examines how regenerative hospitality can be applied within the safari lodge sector in Southern Africa with a specific focus on community based tourism, conservation oriented value creation and long term livelihood development. The safari industry has traditionally operated through models that extract value from land and wildlife. This research explores how tourism operators can transition toward a principle in which the benefits that come from tourism are balanced by meaningful contributions to surrounding communities through employment, education, the preservation of cultural knowledge and fair distribution of revenue.

The study uses the DFID Sustainable Livelihoods Framework as the central analytical foundation. It combines qualitative primary data from interviews with lodge operators, conservation practitioners and community representatives with secondary data from Brand Africa, lodge impact reports and existing regenerative models such as the Conservation Development Model at Londolozi. The findings show that regenerative approaches succeed when they are built on long term relationships, capacity building, transparent structures of governance and a shared sense of purpose rooted in local cultural worldviews such as Ubuntu. Community empowerment functions not as a side effect but as an essential mechanism that strengthens social and ecological resilience.

Based on these insights the thesis develops a practical regenerative business case that supports safari lodges in integrating community based tourism into their operational strategy. The model presents options for measuring impact, diversifying income streams and strengthening brand positioning within the Brand Africa Strategy. The results demonstrate that regenerative hospitality is both ethically necessary and commercially competitive and that it offers African tourism destinations a powerful opportunity to differentiate themselves through authenticity, inclusion and long term sustainability.