"Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed...We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in, for it can be a means of reassuring ourselves of our sanity as creatures, as part of the geography of hope..."
Wallace Stegner ( Professor of English, Stanford University )

THE MALAMALA GROUP – A SOCIAL, ECO-TOURISM AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTMENT TO SOUTHERN AFRICA

The MalaMala Group is a South African–based organization and bases its approach on the Bill of Rights of our first democratic constitution (1996). In respect of the environment it, inter alia, makes the point that everyone has the right to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations in a way that prevents pollution and ecological degradation, promotes conservation and secures ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN PRACTISE

• MalaMala Game Reserve only employs South African citizens due in the main to the high unemployment rates prevalent in the region. Despite daily requests for employment from abroad, MalaMala has remained unwavering in its policy. The communities to our west are given priority in respect of employment.
• The Group practices a policy of empowerment of the local communities and in this respect, the company has promoted deserving individuals from the local communities into positions such as F&B Manager, Housekeeper, Workshop Manager, Curio Shop Manager, Environmental Manager, Laundry, Reservations, Reception etc.
• In addition to providing employment to the peripheral communities of both the MalaMala Game Reserve and the Mashatu Game Reserve, the Group also engages the communities to provide other services including construction, brick making, environmental management, road maintenance, entertainment groups, curios etc. It has always been the Group’s philosophy of sourcing such services, wherever possible from its neighbouring communities.
• MalaMala Game Reserve supports the Pfunenani Trust, an initiative that serves to support the communities on the fringe of the wildlife area with self help schemes.
• Mount Anderson Ranch is the first ever privately funded water conservation initiative in the catchments of the Sabie and Olifants Rivers (both of which serve the Kruger Park with a valuable water supply). This initiative started in 1987 and has been extremely successful in reversing catchment degradation in this high rainfall catchment, whilst at the same time subsidising the initiative through extremely low volume eco-tourism at densities of only 1500 hectares per bed. (MalaMala 200 hectares per bed, Mashatu 312 hectares per bed)
• Mashatu Game Reserve is owned as to 30% by the Botswana Government through the Botswana Development Corporation, thus giving the people of Botswana a direct participating stake in the future benefits of the tourism industry in Botswana.
• The Group fully and actively supports both Government and private initiatives to support HIV infected staff and families with ARV and vitamin replacement therapy.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY IN PRACTISE

MalaMala Game Reserve was the first privately owned game reserve in South Africa that chose eco-tourism as an alternative to hunting as a sustainable land use practice. This occurred in 1962 and since that time, over 700 game reserves/private lodges have sprung up based on the MalaMala recipe. This accepted, MalaMala Game Reserve does not condemn hunting as a sustainable wildlife utilisation policy if practiced responsibly and sustainably for the benefit of all stakeholders in accordance with Government policy.

MalaMala Game Reserve subscribes to the most scientific ecological management programme with assistance from the top scientists in the field.

In this regard Michael Rattray, the Managing Director of the MalaMala Game Reserve, has twice been the recipient of the coveted Ossie Doyer Trophy for 'The Conservationist of the Year', as well as being the only person in South Africa to have received the State President's Award for eco-tourism.

He was also the longest serving curator of the National Parks Board of South Africa, having been endorsed by three different presidents of South Africa (the last being President Nelson Mandela). He served in this position for 11 years before retiring in 1995.

In appreciating the management of MalaMala Game Reserve one must first grasp that MalaMala is part of the massive Kruger National Park . The management practices of the South African National Parks Board (SAN Parks) greatly affect MalaMala particularly with regard the animal populations.

The animals move freely as there are no fences between MalaMala and the Kruger National Park, but the land and land management is solely our responsibility.

The MalaMala rangers keep very accurate game statistics and game reports (since 1990) which are used in scientific papers and research.

In this regard the following policies have been long practiced:

1. A seep line is a natural interface between clay and sandy soils. In times of good rainfall these areas become very marshy and waterlogged, and very unsuitable for shrubs and trees. It is here that only grasses will grow. This is how nature maintains natural open areas. Along with natural fires at regular intervals, elephant feeding and large herbivore migrations, these open areas were naturally maintained.

2. When the early cattle farmers arrived in the 1920’s, these open areas were the first to be targeted by the bovines due to the quality and quantity of the grass sword. Farmers did not understand the role of fire, and many of these were extinguished before they could fulfill their natural role. Elephants were shot for their ivory, and the impact they had on the vegetation was significantly reduced. The most convenient place to develop roads was through the middle of these open areas, but this had a severe impact on the water flow below the soil due to compaction, and this influenced the flow of streams, and ultimately the amount of water reaching the rivers. Boreholes were also sunk to steer the cattle away from the Sand River . This had negative consequences on the natural migrations of the animals to the river in the dry season. Habitat-specific animals such as the Sable Antelope, which demand long grassy areas and are water independent, suffered greatly under these practices.

3. To try to rectify this, the management of these sensitive areas includes the following:

• There is limited access to game drive vehicles when these areas are waterlogged.
• Positioning of roads at the top of the seep line ensures that this does not affect the flow of water.
• Clearing and brush cutting on the seep lines returns them to their original state.
• Regular burning removes saplings and moribund material on the seep lines

4. Associated with point (3b) above, MalaMala does not supply any artificial water i.e. water that is pumped to the surface for animals to drink. The Sand River is the only water source, and some natural pans and waterholes that have developed over time are filled up by the annual summer rains.

• Firebreaks need to be burned annually to help fight run-away fires and also as starting points to manage the controlled burning programs which take place on an annual basis. In short, this is an extremely important part of bushveld management, as this helps maintain the savannah system as a whole. If the bush becomes too dense, the grass sword will disappear. This will result in the loss of the grazing animal species such as zebra and wildebeest. Dead grass and vegetation material when burnt becomes ash, and these nutrients are then returned to the soil during the next rainy season to fertilize the new growth that takes place.
• The control of alien vegetation is also an imperative management policy, as these exotic plants often “out-compete” local species. The exotic plants such as Lantana are often invasive, and can take over an entire area. These plants need to be chopped out, and treated with herbicide - often at great expense.
• Rattray’s on MalaMala has a state-of-the-art sewerage and effluent filtration system. Sewerage and grey water are collected in large underground tanks in the camp. This is then pumped at high pressure through small expandable pipes to a large underground sand bed. Reeds are planted above the surface, utilizing some of this water, and avoiding stagnant water from standing on the surface and creating an unpleasant smell. The water then filtrates down through the sand bed to a plastic sheet below. This sheet is placed at an angle. The water runs down the sheet to be collected by a pipe, and into another large tank. When the water reaches this final tank it is actually safe to drink! Fortunately for all at the camp though, this water is then used to irrigate the gardens. No chemicals are added in this process (bar the environmentally-friendly and bio-degradable materials which stimulate microbial action and break down the fats from the hospitality department).
• Rattray’s on MalaMala was designed with indigenous-only gardens. These require less watering, resulting in less water being drawn from the Sand River .
• All waste and rubbish in the camps is sorted and recycled. Glass, plastic and tin are separated and sent to the local town (Nelspruit) for re-cycling. All other rubbish is incinerated at the local plant at the camp.
• MalaMala also applies a detailed management plan for the control of mosquitoes, and thereby also indirectly malaria. Pybuthrine is an organic product, and is used in conjunction with K-othrine which is a long lasting spray used on buildings to target the adult stage of the mosquito, and other biting flies. These are applied at regular intervals, depending on the season. Vectobac is an eco-friendly chemical used on standing water to specifically target the larvae of mosquitoes and other midges.
• An ongoing “switch off” campaign to save electricity has been implemented. Appliances are regulated accordingly.
• Geyser and temperature settings are adjusted as seasons change.

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