Tourism as a force for good
In the untamed landscapes of Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, the African Bush Camps Foundation (ABCF) is forging a future where wildlife roams freely and communities thrive. Since 2006, ABCF has worked within the regions surrounding African Bush Camps’ lodges, turning tourism into a force for good. Your safari with Encompass Africa powers their mission to empower people, protect ecosystems, and create a thriving Africa, together.
Their vision is rooted in connection
ABCF’s work began with a simple belief: tourism can transform lives and landscapes. Operating in the heartlands of Southern Africa, they’ve been tackling pressing challenges like unemployment, food scarcity, limited education and healthcare, poaching, and habitat loss through their programs in
- Community empowerment,
- Conservation, and
- Sustainability.
By 2023, their strategic Vision 2030 crystallised this mission: to connect all African Bush Camps lodges in a thriving natural landscape, where elephants and lions roam across healthy ecosystems, and local communities flourish with opportunity.
This isn’t just a dream, they (and we) see it as a movement. Last year, ABCF supported over 1,500 students across schools, trained five women as safari guides, and protected white rhinos in Zambia’s Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park.
So if you’re visiting their camps and working with us here at Encompass Africa, you’re fuelling these efforts, and we’re ensuring every safari leaves a lasting impact and dare we say legacy?!
Conservation: A wild path forward
ABCF’s Conservation pillar – expand, protect, co-exist – breathes life into Africa’s wilderness. In Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools, once ravaged by poaching, their anti-poaching patrols and community partnerships have revived a vibrant ecosystem, with elephant herds now grazing where silence once reigned. Meanwhile in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, they monitor endangered wild dogs, contributing to government conservation protocols. In Zambia, a crash of white rhinos in Mosi-oa-Tunya grew from four in 2008 to ten by 2024, thanks to ranger patrols funded by guest levies.
At Maunga Village near Thorntree Lodge, farmers like Esther Mweo learned to build lion bomas, reducing livestock losses by 80% and fostering harmony with predators.
These stories of coexistence show how ABCF’s work, backed by your safari, safeguards both wildlife and livelihoods.
Community: uplifting lives
ABCF’s Community pillar – educate, empower, health – plants opportunity where it’s needed the most. For example, at Maunga Primary School, they’re upgrading facilities to welcome secondary students, giving 300 children access to education. Their Female Guides Program has empowered women like Sharon, who became a Junior Guide in Botswana in 2024, breaking barriers in a male-dominated field. At Maunga Clinic, care packs for expectant mothers have reduced infant mortality by 20% since 2022, offering hope to families like Zita’s.
Collaboration is their heartbeat. Through partnerships with groups like Conservation Lower Zambezi and Mashura, ABCF amplifies impact, like supporting Zambia’s all-female Kufadza ranger team.
When you choose Encompass Africa, you’re investing in these communities, helping them write their own stories of resilience.
The 2026 Guided Impact Safari: a journey with purpose
In 2026, ABCF invites you to join their inaugural Guided Impact Safari, led by Foundation Director Koinonia Baloyi. With deep ties to the communities she serves, Koinonia offers a rare lens into ABCF’s work. Over ten nights across Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, staying at Khwai Leadwood, Thorntree River Lodge, Nyamatusi Camp, and Bumi Hills, you’ll volunteer at schools, join anti-poaching patrols, and build lion bomas alongside locals. At Maunga, you’ll meet students planting vegetable gardens, learning to coexist with wildlife. A portion of your booking fee directly funds ABCF’s projects, making every moment impactful.
This isn’t just a safari, it’s a chance to leave Africa stronger. As Koinonia says,
“Every step we take together builds a future where communities and wildlife thrive side by side.”
Get in touch if you’d like a seat on this amazing safari.
Vision 2030: A thriving future
ABCF’s Vision 2030 imagines a “wild path” where wildlife moves freely between camps, ecosystems flourish, and communities prosper. Their monitoring system tracks progress, from reduced poaching incidents to increased school attendance, ensuring every project moves the needle.
In 2024, their partnership with Mashura brought healthcare upgrades to 500 families in Zimbabwe, while 340 rangers in Hwange and Mana Pools received food staples to stay on the frontlines.
These milestones, fueled by tourism, prove that collaboration creates change.
Your safari is the spark, and it’s no ordinary safari that’s for sure… especially when it’s with African Bush Camps and Encompass Africa!
Join the movement
Are you moved by ABCF’s vision? Book your safari with Encompass Africa to support their work, or secure your spot on the 2026 Guided Impact Safari for a really rewarding hands-on experience.
Together, we can transform Africa’s future, one journey at a time.