South Africa: Fair Trade Tourism certifies Iketla Lodge in Limpopo!

Fair Trade Tourism (FTT), a South African NGO that encourages and monitors fair and responsible practises in tourism establishments and activities, has added the Iketla Lodge in Limpopo to its portfolio of tourism businesses in South Africa. The four-star lodge, which accommodates just 16 people, is situated in the middle of a 540 hectare private nature conservancy on the Panorama Route, approximately 30 minutes' drive from the famous Blyde River Canyon. Iketla Lodge is home to more than 200 different bird species and numerous migratory species of wildlife.Iketla Lodge is owner-run and was purpose built to minimize its impact on the natural environment. Five of the eight chalets were built on the edge of a rise and offer secluded look-out points into the valley. Each chalet has an en-suite bathroom with stone-built indoor shower and open-air outdoor shower.

Fair Trade Tourism certifies Cascade Country Manor in the Cape Winelands!

Fair Trade Tourism (FTT), a South African NGO that encourages and monitors fair and responsible practises in tourism establishments and activities, has added the Cascade Country Manor to its portfolio of tourism businesses in South Africa. Once the South African home of the 12th Duke of Bedford, this 4-star establishment is located outside Paarl in the Cape Winelands with the Klein Drakenstein mountains as its backcloth. Cascade Country Manor has 15 rooms and offers a range of activities including abseiling, mountain biking, hiking and wine-tasting tours. The boutique hotel is also a spa and wellness centre. The neighbouring olive farm ("Buffet Olives") is South Africa's biggest table olive producer and a tour of the factory can always be arranged on request.Cascade Country Manor has had an enduring commitment to sustainability and is invested in the local communities of Paarl. The management team apply strict environmental disciplines, including waste and water recycling initiatives, and reduce energy consumption as far as possible. Fresh produce is grown on the property with the ultimate aim of supplying all fresh produce needs from the garden.

Fair Trade Tourism (FTT) certifies four new tourism businesses in Mozambique!

Fair Trade Tourism (FTT), a South African non-profit organisation that encourages and monitors fair and responsible practises in tourism establishments and activities, recently added four businesses in Mozambique to its portfolio of 64 FTT-certified tourism products in Southern Africa.

The four new businesses in Mozambique are:

• tour operator Terra Agua Ceu (Inhambane)
• eco lodge Dunes de Dovela (an hour's drive south of Inhambane)
• boutique resort Bahia Mar (Vilanculos)
• dive specialists Odyssea (Vilanculos)

These tourism businesses all adhere to the FTT standard and use the FTT label as a way of signifying their commitment to fair and responsible tourism. This includes fair wages and working conditions, fair purchasing and operations, equitable distribution of benefits and respect for human rights, culture and the environment.

Eastern Cape: Bulungula Lodge is now 100% community-owned!

The famous Bulungula Lodge, situated in one of the most beautiful locations of any lodge in South Africa and one of the first lodges in the world to be Fair Trade accredited, is now 100% community-owned and run by the local Xhosa community of Nqileni village. The former owner, South African Dave Martin, has in the past few months handed over 100% ownership to them.



The Bulungula Lodge is located along the Eastern Cape's Wild Coast. If you are planning to drive there by car, Coffee Bay is about two-and-a-half hours away, East London about five hours, Durban just under nine hours and Port Elizabeth is nine hours away. Check the Bulungula's website for a printable map and very detailed directions - you'll need it! Bulungula Lodge also runs a shuttle that collects travellers from the Mthatha Shell Ultra City in Mthatha (Baz Bus, Translux and Greyhound bus stop) at 15:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Fair Trade Tourism (FTT) certifies five new tourism businesses on Madagascar!

Fair Trade Tourism (FTT), a South African NGO that encourages and monitors fair and responsible practises in tourism establishments and activities, recently added five businesses on Madagascar to the family of FTT-certified businesses.

The five newly certified tourism businesses in Madagascar are:

• Salary Bay, located on Madagascar's south-west coastline
• Hotel Le Paradisier, a luxury eco-lodge located close to Salary Bay
• Mantasoa Lodge, a boutique hotel on the beautiful Lake Mantasoa, not far from the capital city of Antananarivo
• Bush House Lodge, a small eco-lodge located in the Toamasina region of Madagascar's east coast, within the Canal des Pangalanes Lake District
• Tsara Camp, located in the Tsaranoro Valley

These tourism businesses all adhere to the FTT standard and use the FTT label as a way of signifying their commitment to fair and responsible tourism. This includes fair wages and working conditions, fair purchasing and operations, equitable distribution of benefits and respect for human rights, culture and the environment.
Specific initiatives range from contributing to the education of children in the local communities and offering health clinics on their premises to working with local fishermen and fish farmers, in order to support them in making their businesses more profitable and more resilient. Recognizing the importance of preserving the local farming sector and increasing the value generated from agriculture, FTT-certified businesses provide local farmers with the necessary tools as well as sharing technical and commercial knowledge with them. The businesses are also dedicated to water and energy savings and make use of local handicrafts to decorate their rooms.

South Africa: Thaba Ya Batswana Eco Hotel and Spa gets FTT-certification

Fair Trade Tourism (FTT), a South African NGO that encourages and monitors fair and responsible practises in tourism establishments and activities, recently added the Thaba Ya Batswana Eco Hotel and Spa in the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve to the list of FTT-certified businesses in South Africa. The Thaba Ya Batswana Eco Hotel and Spa sleeps 208 guests in 52 rooms. All rooms have access to WiFi and are equipped with iPad docking stations, en suite bathrooms, TV sets, air conditioning, lounge areas and complimentary coffee stations. The Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve, often referred to by locals as Johannesburg's "best-kept secret", is situated to the south of the city centre and stretches over 680 ha of open veld landscape and koppies.

Thaba Ya Batswana not only supports small and medium sized businesses with a favourable BBBEE rating, but also puts community interests first in all business dealings. The hotel has employed people from the community who live less than 20km from the hotel premises, in order to reduce each employee’s carbon footprint, as well as to enhance their family lives by less time travelling to and from work.
Local charities and schools are some of the beneficiaries of financial and practical assistance, provided in order to improve the lives of children, adults and the elderly in the community. 
The owners of Thaba Ya Batswana are founding members of both SOJO and KUBiC – organisations proactively involved in the ecological improvement and greening of the south of Johannesburg. The first self-sustaining green corridor will be their legacy.

Fair Trade Tourism's (FTT) certification programme, which was recently outsourced to FLO-Cert, is based on adherence to specific criteria including fair wages and working conditions, fair distribution of benefits, ethical business practice, and respect for human rights, culture and the environment.

South Africa: Leriba Hotel and Spa (Centurion) gets FTT-certification

Fair Trade Tourism (FTT), a South African NGO that encourages and monitors fair and responsible practises in tourism establishments and activities, just announced that the Leriba Hotel and Spa has joined the list of FTT-certified businesses. The Leriba Hotel and Spa is a 4 and 5 Star hotel, nestled on 12 hectares of indigenous forest on the banks of the Hennops River in Centurion. The hotel is in walking distance to Centurion City and Centurion Gautrain Station. Johannesburg is 35 minutes away, OR Tambo International Airport only 45 minutes from OR Tambo International Airport and Pretoria just 10 minutes.

Leriba' sustainable tourism initiatives include:

• Hosting a number of tourism students each year for work and practical experience.
• Providing Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) training to their own staff.
• Using local and small suppliers extensively in their procurement process.
• Receiving 100% for Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) procurement.
• Contributing significantly to community social investment (both financially and in-kind).
• Obtaining a Gold Heritage Rating for their environmental practices, including waste management, water and energy consumption.
• Making significant financial investment in environmental projects.
• Ensuring excellent Health and Safety systems on site for guests and staff, including the number of staff who have valid First Aid and fire fighting certificates

Fair Trade Tourism's (FTT) certification programme, which was recently outsourced to FLO-Cert, is based on adherence to specific criteria including fair wages and working conditions, fair distribution of benefits, ethical business practice, and respect for human rights, culture and the environment. 

The De Zeekoe Guest Farm in Oudtshoorn (Western Cape) receives FTTSA certification

The De Zeekoe Guest Farm the first establishment in Oudtshoorn to be certified by the Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA). De Zeekoe is an owner-managed African farm that offers a variety of accommodation types, with both catered and self-catering options.
The 2000-hectare bio-diversified farm, which puts a very strong focus on environmental conservation as well as community upliftment, is nestled between the majestic Swartberg and Outeniqua Mountains on the banks of the Olifants River. The De Zeekoe Guest Farm is located only 7 km from Oudtshoorn on the R328.
The Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) certification is an independent endorsement of fair and responsible tourism practice in South Africa. It is based on adherence to specific criteria including fair wages and working conditions, fair distribution of benefits, ethical business practice, and respect for human rights, culture and the environment. Certification is offered on a voluntary basis to providers of tourist accommodation, activities and attractions.