Positive impact

Many communities surrounding Ulusaba lack basic needs such as access to clean drinking water, basic healthcare, food, childcare, and job opportunities.  

Pride n' Purpose exists to improve living conditions in these communities, and the work it does is divided into four key areas: access to clean water, education, extracurricular activities for children and support for local entrepreneurs.

To date, Pride and Purpose has provided the following:

• 30 Preschools built
• 5 Literacy centres built 
• 1500 Trees planted
• 30 Vegetables planted
• 2 Disability centres built
• 8 Orphan homes built
• 10 Classrooms built 
• 5 Water boreholes drilled
• 30 Water tanks set up
• 1 Yearly teachers' training

Pride ‘n Purpose has invested in the purchase of two ‘FunPumps’ installed near an underground borehole.  

These function like a merry-go-round you would find in any playground around the world. As children play, clean water is pumped directly from the borehole to a water harvester for use by the community.  

We have over four water wells in the community that supply water to community members. 

Pride ‘n Purpose has a particular focus on pre-school and primary school education, and has helped build and run 30 pre-schools for more than 1,200 children. Schools are kitted out with all the necessary educational materials, and educators are trained to use them correctly to build the essential foundations for learning. 

Pride 'n Purpose has also constructed five literary centres and is partnering with the Good Work Foundation to build the Dumphries Digital Learning Centre – a digital learning centre, which will benefit the wider Dumphries area. 

Partnering with Food and Trees for Africa, a South African non-governmental organisation, and Foundations for Farming, Pride 'n Purpose has helped set up food gardens in the communities and at its schools. 

The project includes ongoing training and support for schools and pupils to set up and cultivate healthy, fresh vegetables. Each garden produces food for 700 pupils with the surplus being sold in the village. 

Ulusaba is a major source of employment in the region, but there is a lack of accessible jobs available for many of the village’s adults. Pride ‘n Purpose is attempting to address this issue with support for local entrepreneurial schemes. 

We have Ku-Humelela Craft Centre, which sells products such as bracelets, earrings and soft toys to guests joining us on community tours.

We operate community tours to local villages, and there are plenty of opportunities for guests to volunteer during their visit and to experience the area near the Sabi Sand reserve on a different level.  

Donations of clothing and other household supplies are also welcome all year-round. You can book a tour on arrival at Ulusaba or ask our reservations team about these. A fee for each tour will apply to cover transport plus the cost of the local guide and a small donation to the Pride ‘n Purpose projects fund. 

Donations of all sizes are very welcome, and you can donate in three ways: 

1. Make a transfer directly to our bank account – email us to request our bank details. You can transfer funds directly into our South African account.
2. Make a donation in person if you are visiting Ulusaba.
3. You can also make a donation via Virgin Unite 

Please note that if you donate via Virgin Unite and request that your donation is used to benefit projects of Pride ‘n Purpose, Virgin Unite and its trustees retain ultimate discretion over the donation and control as to which specific PnP project those funds are used to support. 

Donations don't just need to be monetary, clothing and other supplies are welcome all year-round to ensure that people in the nearby community are kept warm and comfortable. 

We are proud members of Pack for a Purpose, an initiative that allows travellers to make a lasting impact in the community at your travel destination.  

If you save just a few kilos of space in your suitcase and bring supplies for area schools or medical clinics in need, you'll make a priceless impact in the lives of our local children and families.  

See what supplies are currently needed for our projects here.

We're committed to working with suppliers who believe in fair trade and source partners locally where possible.  

In the Aroma Boma spa, our therapists use the Africology brand, which is made from natural products such as Marula Oil, African Potato, and Rooibos.  

And it's not limited to the spa. Our highly skilled chefs in the kitchen source their fish from sustainable varieties as per the World Wildlife Foundation standards.

Ditching the plastic 

We pride ourselves on recycling. Here are a few of our green-friendly initiatives: