&Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

&Beyond, founded in 1991, began with the transformation of the degraded Phinda Private Game Reserve into a thriving wildlife sanctuary through sustainable tourism. Today, &Beyond Phinda is a blueprint for international ecotourism, boasting six luxury safari lodges. The company’s vision centres on three pillars: Care of the Land, Wildlife, and People.

Achievements at Phinda include reviving the lion population in Rwanda, hosting a vital cheetah population, pioneering elephant reintroduction, and participating in conservation projects like the WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion Project. &Beyond prioritises community empowerment through job creation, skills training and development initiatives, including long-standing projects such as schools and clinics. Recent initiatives support micro-entrepreneurs, youth employment and community education. The resort also promotes local procurement and environmental conservation, reducing carbon footprint, promoting efficient water usage and eliminating plastic water bottles. Active management strategies protect biodiversity, cultural heritage and endangered species while facilitating research and species reintroduction programs.