Sponsor

Established 15 years ago as a social enterprise under the patronage of Nelson Mandela, Open Africa sustains livelihoods and enhances conservation across Africa by offering travellers authentic, life enriching journeys. Travellers enjoying Open Africa routes support local businesses along that route, enabling livelihoods. Conservation is enhanced through the local community’s awareness of their environment as a future wealth creator.

Open Africa routes presently employ over 30 000 people in mostly rural areas, where jobs are scarcest and is one of the few organisations currently working with tourism-based local enterprises rurally in South Africa. Each route is an economic platform for enterprise development that can double and then quadruple job opportunities. The 60 routes established so far are merely the tip of the iceberg. More routes, more jobs, more winners.

You can be part of realising this dream, as an organisation or as an individual, getting involved as much as you wish.

Benefits to your organisation could include:

As a corporate you can earn Enterprise Development or Socio-economic development points (previously CSI) towards your BBBEE scorecard. Open Africa will provide the documentation that supports this, as required by your verification agency, given that we are a conduit between you as a funder and the ultimate beneficiaries.
Strong governance structures ensure that all funding received is used solely for the benefit of rural and marginalised communities.
Depending on your interests and the project supported:
- Access and distribution opportunities to rural markets in South Africa/Africa.
- Enhanced brand awareness and equity.
- Local product supply/procurement to your supply chain.

Benefits to you as an individual could include:

Feel inspired by helping South Africa and Africa’s rural communities shine with prosperity, by helping enable livelihoods and enhancing conservation.
Feel more connected to South Africa and Africa.
Feel part of a big sustainable vision to restore South Africa and Africa's hope and pride amongst all its people.

Africa’s time has come. Join us on this life enriching journey of sustaining livelihoods and conservation across South Africa and Africa.

Click here to find out about lives influenced positively through case studies and individual stories.

Click here to find out about our sponsors.

Create jobs in communities by supporting development of these travel routes:

Impendle, KwaZulu-Natal – A culture, community and ecology route that provides additional exposure to the existing Impendle Ecotourism Programme, restoring hope and dignity to about 30 000 Zulu people in this rural area;
Van Reenen, intersection of KwaZulu-Natal and Free State border – A nature, culture and history route around this small hamlet originally established as a railway depot, to integrate marginalised communities around the town by increasing tourism to the area;
Mooi River to Giant’s Castle via Kamberg, KwaZulu-Natal – A nature, culture and outdoor activities route to broaden the success of the Midlands Meander to other areas with tourism potential, creating jobs for local communities in the area;
Mt Kenya Highlands, Kenya – A fascinating route incorporating a famous mountain, interesting cottage industries and rich agriculture, culture, history, nature and wildlife, to grow tourism and uplift communities in this rural and marginalised area.

Contact admin@openafrica.org to find out more.

Support the creation of a network of community-based honey producers across our travel routes in South Africa.

Why?

Beekeeping is an easy, cost-effective way to provide rural communities with livelihood opportunities and to contribute to food security;
There is a vibrant local market for honey;
South Africa needs 50 000 beekeepers to become an exporter of honey, rather than an importer;
Honey has wonderful nutritional and medicinal properties;
Beekeeping is probably the only form of agriculture with an overwhelmingly positive impact on the natural environment, notably enhancing pollination. We need more bees!
A similar model has been proven in Kenya.

Contact admin@openafrica.org to find out more.

Earn Socio-economic Development (CSI) or Enterprise Development points now.

Contact us to discuss and finalise the project that aligns best with your interests and resources;
We send you an MOU covering our agreement, signed by both parties;
We send you an invoice.

Did you know?

The huge deposits of alluvial diamonds along the coast of Namaqualand and southern Namibia are always found in beds of gravel mixed with the fossilised shells of extinct warm-water oysters. Whatever geological occurrence killed the oysters may have also produced the diamonds.

– See Richtersveld Route

Verbatim

SA has 22500 species of plants, more than the two biggest nations on Earth combined; 40% more than the USA (which is seven times the size of SA); and the Cape Peninsula alone has more species of plants than the whole of Europe.

– James Clarke, journalist

– See South Africa