Sustainability
Responsible partnerships, conscious travel, and meaningful impact – protecting Africa’s natural heritage for generations to come.
Sustainability
Empowering conservation. Enriching heritage.
Travel With Purpose
Thompsons Africa is committed to responsible tourism that protects Southern Africa’s natural landscapes, uplifts local communities, and celebrates the region’s rich cultural heritage. Our sustainability approach aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which provide a global framework for addressing environmental protection, social development, and economic growth.
These goals recognise that meaningful progress requires balancing prosperity with environmental stewardship, while supporting social priorities such as education, healthcare, employment opportunities, and community development.
Thompsons Africa focuses on 9 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, aligning them with the three pillars that guide our business and travel experiences: People, Land, and Heritage.
People – Supporting communities by creating access to education, skills development, and economic opportunities through tourism.
Land – Protecting biodiversity, wildlife, and natural ecosystems through responsible tourism practices and conservation partnerships.
Heritage – Preserving and celebrating the region’s culture, history, and artistic traditions through authentic local experiences.
Our Travel with Purpose experiences highlight immersive activities that contribute positively to these pillars. These experiences are carefully assessed and can be easily identified across our portfolio by the Travel with Purpose seal, allowing travellers to engage with meaningful initiatives while exploring the destination.
In 2020, Thompsons Africa signed the SATSA Wildlife Pledge, reinforcing our commitment to ethical wildlife tourism and responsible conservation practices. Through these guidelines, we support initiatives that prioritise the long-term welfare of wildlife and promote responsible wildlife experiences.
While we do not directly operate conservation or community projects, we carefully partner with properties, lodges, and establishments that actively invest in sustainability, conservation, and community upliftment initiatives aligned with our values.
See who we partner with HERE.
Sustainable Development Goals
The 9 Sustainable Development Goals we focus on are:
 | Goal 1 – No Poverty | The experience contributes to ending poverty in all its forms, everywhere |
 | Goal 4 – Quality Education | The experience contributes to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, and/or promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all |
 | Goal 5 – Gender Equality | The experience is helping to achieve gender equality and empowering all women and girls |
 | Goal 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation | The experience is helping to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and/or sanitation for all |
 | Goal 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy | The experience is contributing to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all |
 | Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production | The experience promotes and educates our guests on sustainable consumption and production |
 | Goal 13 – Climate Action | The experience educates our guests on the climate crisis and takes action to address its impacts |
 | Goal 14 – Life Below Water | The experience contributes to the conservation and sustainable use of our oceans, seas, and marine ecosystems |
 | Goal 15 – Life on Land | The experience educates our guests on the importance of natural ecosystems OR wildlife conservation and contributes to their restoration or repopulation |
*** ‘The content of this publication has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States.’
