What American Operators Can Learn From African Safaris

Our industry is too insular. Too American-centric.

We rave about Open Sky’s beauty. We marvel at AutoCamp’s execution. We hope to capture some of the magic sprinkled on The Fields. 

It’s understandable. There are a ton of great American glamping businesses to learn from.

But there’s a whole world of glamping out there.

Outside the US, you can wake up to the sound of the rainforest in Costa Rica, or feel the sand between your toes on a golden Australian beach.

Other countries, all with their own cultures and traditions, are learning opportunities for us as operators. There’s so much we can take to improve our own hospitality businesses.

Today, our classroom is Africa. Specifically, the golden grasslands and meandering rivers of the Sabi Sabi wildlife reserve in South Africa. 

Sabi Sabi has luxury lodges and safari guides that coexist with leopards, lions, elephants, rhino and buffalo. 

But if Sabi Sabi is a glamping sandwich, the lodges are the bread, and the wildlife are the salad. The good stuff, the meat, is the experience the team at Sabi Sabi provides.

You see, at Sabi Sabi, what feels like an off-the-cuff, intuitive experience, is a carefully orchestrated stage play. 

And in this dispatch, I’m pulling back the curtain.

The Glamping Insider, reporting for duty.

I’m Not Happy!

I have a bone to pick with you Insiders. Nobody subscribed to Isaac French’s newsletter after his profile feature last week.

This guy sold his 7-unit micro-resort for $7 million. He has a thing or two to teach you about this business, and he does it through his newsletter. 

Trust me, it’s really good. It has 25,000 subscribers for a reason.

Go subscribe.

The Sabi Sabi Story

The first characters you’ll meet in the Sabi Sabi story are a South African couple called Hilton and Jacqui Loon. Back in 1979, they became owners of the newly-established Sabi Sabi private reserve. There was one on-site lodge at the time, which Hilton and Jacqui dreamed of making their luxury family home in the bush.

But after exploring their vast new playground, the Loons were profoundly changed. They realized that they were not to be owners, but custodians, of this African Eden. 

And so Sabi Sabi became a place where visitors were welcomed and could share in the paradise. They’d learn about wildlife and the importance of conservation. And they’d spend money that could be reinvested in local communities and land stewardship.

Over time, Sabi Sabi has been transformed from a family reserve to an immersive escape in the heart of nature. It has:

• 4 luxury lodges, sleeping between 8 and 50

• A restaurant at each lodge, serving fresh ingredients and amazing wines

• 2 Amani Spa & Wellness facilities

• A range of safari experiences, from birding to photography

• Host to all the big names, including Nelson Mandela

• The Sabi Sabi Foundations provides support for local communities through education, employment and conservation

Today, it’s wildly popular. A 5-star average on Tripadvisor after 827 reviews is no mean feat.

But we know by now that the key to great reviews is more than just the accommodation, or the aesthetics.

To consider yourself a world-class destination, you need a world-class guest experience.

Now it’s time to see how the Sabi Sabi sausage is made. And for that, it’s time to meet our next character in the story.

Enter Michel Girardin.

The Sabi Sabi Formula

Michel, a native South African, joined the ship in 1985 as a nature guide. 

He started with a bang. In 1986, with Apartheid in full swing, he pushed to hire William Hlatshwayo, who became South Africa’s first qualified black ranger. 

Michel became the GM of Operations and remained at Sabi Sabi until 1993. He played a key role in creating the experience that guests enjoy to this day. He recently joined me on my podcast to share the story of their success.

Here’s how they do it.

Guides that do more than spot wildlife

The guides at Sabi Sabi are a combination of wildlife experts and maître d’s. 

Part of their job is to take guests out to the bush, teach them about the animals and ecosystem, and act as protection.

But those are just the ‘hard skills’. 

They’re also the face of the operation. They get to know the guests, make them feel welcome, and help them with anything they need. 

The number 1 trait Michel looked for when hiring was empathy. To cut it at Sabi Sabi, you need more than just wildlife knowledge.

A formal training program

Every guide at Sabi Sabi undergoes an intensive training program before they start the job.

This involves a lot of  technical study. They learn about the animals, insects, plants and weather patterns. 

But again, this isn’t everything. The soft skills are just as important.

Sabi Sabi guides are taught the art of hospitality. From showing empathy to adapting delivery according to the guest, these guides leave the training program with 5-star service running through their veins.

Hidden systems

The team at Sabi Sabi have a secret system in place to ensure every guest sees the coolest wildlife up close.

Let’s say the guests are out with guides at different parts of the property. If one guide spots something awesome, like a leopard, word is quietly sent to all the other guides.

While Guide #1 shows their party the leopard, the other guides stall their parties by talking about all the other great stuff in view.

Then, when the first party has had its turn, the next guide brings their party to see the leopard, and so it goes on until everyone gets their fill.

All the while, the guests have no idea that they’re part of an elaborate stage play!

This reminds me of Disney parks. To a guest, Magic Kingdom looks like a dream. But beneath the surface lies a huge tunnel system that the staff use to get around. It’s this hidden system that allows the magic to happen.

Storytelling is everything

The Sabi Sabi team understand that humans love stories.

The guides regale guests with stories of life in the bush across their stay, both in the trucks and round the campfire.

The stories are digital, too. Their website has a great page on the history of the property.

The wildlife make the rules

There’s no management around the wildlife at Sabi Sabi. It’s an adaptive experience.

The guides have to roll with the punches, regardless of what mother nature throws at them that day. Building this adaptability is a core part of the training program.

What Can We Learn From Sabi Sabi?

The plains of Africa may sound far from home to you and I, but there’s a ton of lessons American operators can learn from Sabi Sabi.

Here’s a rundown:

• The real magic happens behind the scenes. What hidden systems can you implement that make your guest experience a stage play?

• Hard skills and soft skills are equally important. Technical knowledge and a knack for hospitality are a killer combo for your guest-facing team members.

• Consider formal training programs. The best hotels send their staff on training programs, so why shouldn’t you? My friend Nathan Woods has just developed a program that teaches you the principles of Unreasonable Hospitality

• Tell a story. Starting with your website and ending with tales around the campfire, know that stories will win your guests over.

• Be adaptive. Not every day will be perfect. Make sure you and your team wow your guests whatever the circumstances.

You can learn more about the Sabi Sabi story by listening to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube.

💡Idea of the Week - Make Notes On Guests!

If a guest tells you they love a certain food, or a part of the experience, write it down and store it in your system.

When that guest books their next stay, those notes will allow you to surprise them with something they love. And they’ll adore you for it.

It’s so easy to systemize, but it will work wonders for guest experience and retention.

Idea of the Week suggested by Andy Murphy of Sojourner Glamping. Reply to this email with your Idea of the Week, and you may get a shoutout!

📰 The Posh Report

We’ve had some fresh renderings done for the first Posh Outdoors location, Skyridge Glamping. Check them out here.

You can invest in Posh Outdoors to get a piece of Skyridge and every project we go on to develop. With plans for 24 revenue share locations across 3 years, we’re on a mission to build a truly scalable luxury glamping business. 

For more info, check out our WeFunder page and schedule a call. 

🌎️Insider’s World

Arctic Monkeys are one of my favourite bands. The frontman, the ridiculously cool Alex Turner, mentioned in an interview that one of their albums was inspired by a 1967 French film called Le Samourai.

I watched it on Sunday, and it was great. Stylish, restrained, and absorbing.

I accessed it through Kanopy, which I get through my local library, but it’s also available on Prime.

Have a great weekend!