History
The Singita Lowveld Trust's journey started with the establishment of the Singita Community Development Trust in 2006 – a registered public benefit organisation that aimed to support disadvantaged communities in the rural villages neighbouring the Singita Sabi Sand and the Singita Kruger National Park region.
This not-for-profit vehicle aims to support an enduring legacy in this region by ensuring the long-term conservation and safeguarding of these unique wilderness areas and wildlife and establishing meaningful community partnerships. Additional donations and funding are channeled to support this conservation legacy. The SLT works in service of Singita’s 100-year purpose – to preserve and protect large areas of African wilderness for future generations, whilst ensuring neighbouring communities benefit and thrive socially and economically alongside these protected areas.
Harnessing the trust and respect of the Singita brand and unique conservation experience, the Trust is able to grow its scale, reach and impact through donations from generous guests who are aligned with the personal commitment of Singita’s Founder, Luke Bailes. His long-term vision continues to centre around the belief that “community partnerships can only work if our commitment to local communities is so deep that they trust that what we are doing – preserving the land – is in their interest.”
Over the past two decades, the Trust has supported various projects. In the early days this started as annual ad hoc support for various local communities' needs including infrastructure upgrades for special needs and homecare centres, local sporting events and local enterprise development – to now driving more strategic and focused Community Partnerships (CP) addressing three of the key challenges in the region: access to quality education, professional skills development for employment and local rural enterprise development and livelihood opportunities.
Today, our CP supports a holistic Early Childhood Development programme across the region, a targeted professional skills development for local youth, and a sustained focus on maintaining the biodiversity of the reserves – which includes the ecosystems, habitats, and diverse species in the areas in which we operate.
In harmony with nature
Renamed the Singita Lowveld Trust in 2018, the Trust introduced a new brand identity in 2021. It now features the beautiful lilac-breasted roller bird as its logo, in an echo of this vibrant bird’s rich symbolism on the continent.
In African culture, the brightly plumed roller has long been considered a symbol of peace that’s helped to maintain harmony between ancient communities, and the eye-catching bird with its vibrant blue and purple feathers is also known as ‘the bird of the sun’. In many African traditions, its feathers are also integral in marriage ceremonies to tie couples together. If the bond between the feathers was strong enough to hold them together, the community would bless the union.
