Authentic Luxury
AFRICAN SAFARI EXPERIENCE
A World Awaits
GAME DRIVES
Experienced and dedicated career guides and trackers impart their amazing knowledge of the natural world, allowing guests to unobtrusively enter the lives of the largest and smallest creatures. From the mist shrouding the bush at dawn till the blazing sun sets behind distant mountains, the magic of a Savanna safari will provide incredible photographs and unforgettable memories.
Our safari vehicles have been specially modified for guests’ comfort and safety with bucket seats separated by large storage boxes. In order to maximise photographic opportunities, there are never more than two people in a row, or 6 guests per vehicle, unless guests request otherwise.
In addition, there are never more than two vehicles at a sighting, except with very relaxed animals in open terrain, in which case three vehicles are allowed.
The afternoon game drive includes a stop for sundowners while marvelling at the splendour of an African sunset, and the absolute tranquillity of the bush. On the morning drive there is a tea/coffee stop with the famous Savanna Amarula hot chocolate or coffee, a highly recommended alternative for the more adventurous at heart.
Step Into Nature
Game Walks
Optional game walks are offered to guests who would like to experience the fauna and flora on foot. Led by an armed guide and tracker, they provide fascinating insight into the geology and botany of the area. Trackers who have grown up in local villages impart a wealth of information on the uses of bushveld trees and plants in tribal customs and rituals, as well as their herbal and medicinal properties and practical applications.
A peeled twig from one tree, for instance, makes a good toothbrush while the silky leaves of another provide the softest toilet paper.
Walks generally take place in the area around Savanna Lodge in between game drives and meals but if guests prefer, a longer walk can replace a drive or be incorporated as part of a drive. The thrill of quietly approaching game while on foot, of close encounters with the smaller creatures and the myriads of wild flowers and beautiful butterflies they attract in summer, brings an added dimension to the magic of an African safari.
Memories for a Lifetime
Family Safaris
Children of all ages are welcome with their families when booking the Savanna Suite, however, no children under the age of 8 years will be permitted at the main lodge.
Our thatched Savanna Suite is ideal for families or small groups wishing to share private time together in elegant, stylish surroundings. The suite consists of two en-suite bedrooms each boasting a lounge area and covered wooden deck with a private plunge pool. These rooms lead onto a central beautifully appointed lounge, providing an idyllic ‘home away from home’ safari option. The lounge has a TV equipped with Cartoon & Discovery channels, as well as a DVD player and wildlife DVDs.
All meals are served by your private butler on your protected patio overlooking one of the waterholes and there is a Bushbabies menu available for your children. A Childminder is also available at all times.
Your private guide, tracker and vehicle are on hand to host you on game drives tailor-made to take your family’s needs into account.
We have our Bushbabies programme in place to ensure that our little guests of the future are entertained while learning and having fun!
The Team
GUIDES & Trackers
Trackers – Julius Sibuyi (Head Tracker), Lawrence Masuku, Killy Tibane, Life Mhlaba and Edward Sibiya were all born in this area. They have a lifetime of knowledge of the African bush and have all undergone extensive training in the art of tracking Africa’s wildlife, ensuring that Savanna provides its guests with a comprehensive checklist of sightings.
Neil Whyte
Guide
Neil Whyte was born and brought up in Kruger National Park where his father, Ian Whyte, was a senior researcher and is regarded as one of the foremost experts on elephants in South Africa
Daniel Fincham
Guide
Daniel was born in Zimbabwe and started his schooling in Harare before moving to South Africa in 1999. He has had a passion for the bush and wildlife from a young age
Derrick Tibane
Guide
Derrick Tibane is one of the major success stories of post-apartheid South Africa. He was born in the local village, Justicia, where he went to school and developed his love for the outdoors
Kevin Williams
Guide
Kevin grew up in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, but his love for adventure and the outdoors started at the tender age of five during a family fishing trip to the Zambezi River.
Aidan Dunlop
Guide
Aidan was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, and ever since he can remember he has always wanted to live a life in the natural world. A career in guiding was always going to be on the horizon!
Jamie McMaster
Guide
The Sabi Sand Safari Experience
The Sabi Sand Wildtuin (Private Game Reserve) is a 55 000 hectare private reserve that was pioneered by local landowners in 1948. Third and fourth generation landowners committed to eco-tourism and conservation have ensured land preservation and high densities of game. Through years of eco-tourism, wildlife in the Sabi Sand is well habituated, resulting in extraordinary and incredibly close, and prolific encounters with big and small game all year round. The most prestigious game reserve in South Africa, the Sabi Sand is renowned for some of the most incredible leopard viewing in the world. Two perennial rivers, the Sabi and Sand Rivers run through the reserve, which add further dimension to the bio-diversity of this area and have created a riverine bushveld rich in wildlife.
Savanna Private Game Reserve is located in the Western sector of the Sabi Sand, and is privileged to traverse approximately 9 000 hectares of beautiful bushveld. The area offers a diverse landscape from the open Savannah grasslands up to the thick riverine bushveld.
Savanna safaris provide exceptional opportunities to see the ‘Big 5’ – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino – as well as cheetah, wild dog, hippo, crocodile, an abundance of general game and over 400 bird species. The emphasis at Savanna is, first and foremost, on the safari experience, on the activities of the many rare and beautiful creatures encountered.
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Neil Whyte
Neil Whyte was born and brought up in Kruger National Park where his father, Ian Whyte, was a senior researcher and is regarded as one of the foremost experts on elephants in South Africa. Growing up in the African bush has given Neil an incredible knowledge of the flora and fauna of the region and a deep insight into the ways of the wildlife which abound there.
Having studied large mammals for his honours degree, Neil had no doubt where his interests would lead him. He enjoys every aspect of the bush but has always had a real passion and admiration for elephants. Coming a close second is Neil’s lifelong interest in birds, resulting in extensive ornithological knowledge and identification skills.
Photography is Neil’s other major interest. His bush experiences provide him with ample opportunities to capture amazing shots for his wildlife portfolio. This passion for photography has been rewarded by having a photograph accepted for the cover of Africa Geographic magazine.
Neil has spent more than 20 years in private game reserves in South Africa, where he has led safaris, trained guides and been involved in lodge management. Neil and his wife, Natasha, have been at Savanna since 2006 where they have put down their roots, raising their three children as part of the Savanna Family
Daniel Fincham
Daniel was born in Zimbabwe and started his schooling in Harare before moving to South Africa in 1999. He has had a passion for the bush and wildlife from a young age and went on bush and fishing excursions with friends and family at every opportunity.
Immediately after school, he commenced his training at Eco Training in the northern regions of the world-renowned Kruger National Park, after which he started working at Wilderness Safari Pafuri camp. During his two years there, he specialised in Walking Safaris, logging over 600 hours and 300 encounters with the Big Five.
After heavy flooding destroyed the lodge in Kruger, he moved further south into the private sector at Mala Mala for two years. Here he developed a passion for photography and cultivated a deeper love for birds and mammals. Daniel’s other hobbies in the outdoors include fishing, which he does at every opportunity, as well as scuba diving and travelling.
In May 2014, Daniel joined the team at Savanna, bringing with him endless energy and enthusiasm and is an integral part of the Savanna Family.
Derrick Tibane
Derrick Tibane is one the major success stories of post-apartheid South Africa. He was born in the local village, Justicia, where he went to school and developed his love for the outdoors.
With little chance of a good education, he started his career as a security guard at one of the neighbouring lodges. Here, his love for nature was cemented, and he set his sights on better things.
After moving lodges to continue as a security guard, he grabbed the opportunity to train as a tracker and quickly qualified at Singita in 2000. After tracking there for four years, he moved lodges once again, where his potential as a guide was quickly seen. He qualified as a guide in 2005 at Tinga Lodge, where he worked for two years before moving to Makalali Game Lodge in 2007. Here he remained for seven years, earning great respect and gaining invaluable experience and knowledge.
In 2014, however, the distance from friends and family drew him back home. His lovely wife, Glory, is one of the head chefs at Savanna, and when the opportunity arose for us to employ another guide, we jumped at the opportunity to welcome Derrick into our family at the beginning of 2015.
He has very quickly become loved by all and has enriched the Savanna Guiding Team with his unique set of skills and knowledge, creating a much more complete wildlife experience.
Kevin Williams
Kevin grew up in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, but his love for adventure and the outdoors started at the tender age of five during a family fishing trip to the Zambezi River.
During his subsequent schooling years, all holidays and pocket money were spent on fishing trips, which resulted in him being selected for the KwaZulu-Natal freshwater angling team at the age of 15, and in 1998 was crowned South African Champion!
After school, Kevin spent 16 months travelling the entire circumference of the Australian continent before returning to Africa to pursue his career in guiding. He was initially offered a guiding position in Zululand, where he gained invaluable experience and confidence, before eventually joining the Savanna Team in the world-renowned Sabi Sand Game Reserve.
Since joining Savanna, Kevin has brought his own unique style of guiding and a fresh outlook on life. He has expanded his interests and has become a very keen photographer and an avid birder.
He and Michaela, whom he met and married at Savanna, are enjoying bringing up their young family in the bush.
AIDAN DUNLOP
Aidan was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, and ever since he can remember he has always wanted to live a life in the natural world. A career in guiding was always going to be on the horizon! His passion was ignited early on by stories from his grandad who roamed across the Zimbabwean wilderness as an avid hunter and fisherman and this interest was passed down through the family. They spent many holidays going to game reserves both in Zimbabwe and South Africa, but it was his Grandad’s outlandish stories and memories that started him along the exciting path of becoming a nature guide.
They left Zimbabwe in the early 2000s and settled down on the coast of South Africa where his love for nature was reinforced by the ocean and mountains of the Western Cape and Cape Town. After completing school in 2017 and a year travelling abroad, he enrolled into a guide training school. On graduating, he worked in the Southern Sabi Sand for three and a half years and it is also here that he met his partner, Jade. After the COVID lockdowns, they decided it was time for a change and together joined the Savanna Family, where they have both become an integral part of the operation.
Jamie McMaster
Jamie was born in Scotland, but thankfully his parents decided the weather was much more agreeable in South Africa and decided to relocate to our sunny shores.
Growing up in Durban, he attended Westville Boys High School on a sports scholarship for swimming. After matriculating, he embarked on a long break from South Africa in the UK, working as a beach lifeguard for a while and then served ten years in the British Army’s prestigious Parachute Regiment. Seeing sense, he decided to relocate back to South Africa and indulge in his love of nature and the bush, which was fostered by a steady TV diet of Sir David Attenborough documentaries, as well as childhood trips to Zululand’s game reserves.
He attended the NJ More Field Guide College in the Waterberg and began his Guiding career at Lion Sands in the Sabi Sand, where he worked for four years before joining the Savanna Family. He loves his birds, the predators and is passionate about the immersive experience of bush walks.
Jamie’s other hobbies and interests are overland travel, cooking, reading, History and fine whisky. Come join him in the bush for a walk and he will regale you with a tale or two, with a whisky around the fire at the end of the day.
