With overtourism a term now more commonly used in the sphere of wildlife tourism, luxury safari brand Sabi Sabi Collection is charting a different path – one where “empathy” is the new luxury.Speaking at a media event in Sydney, Marketing Director Jacques Smit outlined how the 45-year-old family-run business is redefining what it means to go on safari. The company, which operates a luxurious camp in South Africa’s Sabi Sabi Game Reserve, is known for immersive wildlife experiences, but also for its deeply rooted philosophy of respect for animals, guests and communities alike.“If you asked me what really makes us different, I always say it’s the people,” he said. “Our core philosophy is empathy… for each other, for guests, and for the environment.”This emphasis on empathy shapes every interaction, according to Smit, from how rangers interpret animal behaviour to how staff respond to guests’ unspoken needs.“The most important thing about what we do is empathy towards the environment,” he stressed. “If wildlife looks like they’re grumpy, we try to figure out why. If they have cubs, we respect their space.”Guests never share a wildlife sighting with more than two other vehicles, and if any animal shows signs of stress, the vehicles move on.
This approach pays off in animal behaviour. “We’ve had elephants walk across the lodge rooftops and drink from the pools… The animals don’t even look at the vehicles anymore. That means we’ve done something right,” he said.Sabi Sabi’s trackers and rangers are also trained to read guests’ body language, not just animal signs, to ensure they are “comfortable and engaged”.The company believes this model fosters deeper, more meaningful experiences, which Smit describes as “holistic safaris.” While guests may arrive chasing Big Five sightings, by the end of their stay, they have come to appreciate the smaller creatures like butterflies and birds and have learnt about important natural phenomenon like migratory seasons.“A good ranger introduces them to something new – birds, butterflies, medicinal plants. That curiosity can turn a once-in-a-lifetime trip into an annual African journey,” Smit said.Sabi Sabi is now exporting this empathy-based model to Sandringham, a new private reserve opening in 2026, and to a Cape Town hotel opening next year. The common thread across all locations will be this philosophy of mindful, sustainable travel.“Tourism is conservation,” Smit stressed. “Without guests, we can’t fund our foundation or our conservation efforts. But it’s how we host them – how we treat people and wildlife – that defines us.”
