Wild Horizons

What Wild Horizons does

Wild Horizons is a private, owner-managed tour operator headquartered at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, with operations spanning Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, and a secondary connection to Cape Town, South Africa. Founded in 1981, the company has operated continuously for more than 45 years and employs 251–500 staff, with 80.04% drawn from the immediate vicinity. Its core offering is a vertically integrated portfolio of luxury safari accommodation combined with adventure activities, packaged as multi-night Signature Special itineraries (4-night, 6-night, and 8-night) that bundle nights across properties with complimentary experiences such as helicopter flights, white-water rafting, Chobe day trips, and dinner cruises. The company also operates a signature event and dining venue, The Lookout Café, perched over Batoka Gorge, alongside a destination wedding business and bespoke private event services.

The operating footprint comprises four wholly owned lodges — The Elephant Camp (luxury tented suites with plunge pools), Old Drift Lodge (riverfront suites inside Zambezi National Park), The Wallow Lodge (16 tented suites on a private game reserve), and Waterfalls Lodge (a 60-room four-star hotel in Victoria Falls town) — plus the affiliated Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, a non-profit conservation vehicle founded in 2008. Technology is largely commodity: WordPress/Elementor website, ResNova/ResRequest reservation system, Stripe payments, Cloudflare, Google Analytics, Vimeo/YouTube for video, and eco-infrastructure (solar heating, Bio Plant sewage, grey-water recycling, water purification). The technology stack shows no proprietary AI or platform IP; differentiation rests on operational integration, physical assets, and guiding expertise (256 years of combined experience across the guide team).

Wild Horizons monetizes through accommodation (the dominant stream, sold standalone or in bundles), à la carte adventure activities, restaurant and event revenue from The Lookout Café, wedding packages, and airport/cross-border transfers. Pricing is opaque and quote-based, with seasonal Green Season Pay 2 Stay 3 promotions and a Honeymoon Special offering the partner at 50% of the per-person rate. Go-to-market is hybrid: direct-to-consumer through website enquiries, email/phone reservations, and a B2B travel agents portal — supplemented by airline connectivity partnerships (eight carriers serving VFA), a Rovos Rail preferred-operator arrangement, and African Odyssey providing cross-border 4x4 ground handling for Chobe. Distribution relies heavily on organic SEO, Tripadvisor rankings (two lodges in top 1% globally), Instagram content, and the Econet Victoria Falls Marathon community platform, with no evidence of paid acquisition, OTAs, or third-party marketplace listings. Customer base is fragmented across international leisure segments (couples, families, honeymooners, wedding parties, corporate/MICE), and the business carries classic Southern African safari exposure to currency, political, and tourism-cycle risk concentrated at a single destination.

Name

Wild Horizons

Legal name

Wild Horizons

Website

https://wildhorizons.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Wild Horizons is a private, owner-managed tour operator at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, operating four luxury safari lodges, an award-winning Batoka Gorge restaurant, and a portfolio of adventure activities for international tourists across Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Safari & Adventure Tourism

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other (4879)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Safari & Wildlife Travel Agencies (THAKAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Safari & Wilderness Luxury Resorts (THAGACAD), Private Adventure & Expedition Experiences (Custom Hikes, Safaris, Backcountry) (THAJALAG), Safari Lodges & Tented Camps (THAAAHAC), Eco-Adventure Multi-Day Expeditions (Trekking, Hut-to-Hut, Pack Trips) (THAAAEAJ)

Keywords

• Luxury safari accommodation
• Adventure tourism services
• Guided safari tours
• Victoria Falls activities
• Boutique safari lodges

Headquarters

HQ city

Livingstone

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Luxury Safari Lodge Accommodation: Wild Horizons operates four distinct properties — The Elephant Camp (deluxe tented suites with private plunge pools), Old Drift Lodge (riverfront suites inside Zambezi National Park), The Wallow Lodge (16 luxury canvas tented suites on a private concession), and Waterfalls Lodge (60-room four-star hotel in Victoria Falls town). Accommodation is the primary revenue driver, offered as standalone nights or bundled in Signature Special packages combining multiple lodges with complimentary activities.
2. Adventure Activities & Tours: A broad portfolio of adventure activities including white water rafting on the Zambezi (Class V rapids), scenic helicopter flights (Flight of Angels in 12/25/30-minute options), gorge swing, zipline, canopy tour, sunset/dinner cruises on the Zambezi, game drives in Zambezi National Park and Chobe National Park, Chobe day trips, guided Falls tours, walking safaris, bicycle tours, and cultural village visits. Activities are sold standalone, packaged with accommodation, or bundled into multi-night itineraries.
3. The Lookout Café Restaurant & Events: An award-winning restaurant perched on the Batoka Gorge rim, open daily from 08:00 to 21:30 for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Lookout Café generates revenue through dine-in service, Full Moon Dinners, cocktail and canape events, private functions, corporate events, team building, and themed street food market dinners. The venue also serves as the site for gorge-edge activities (Gorge Swing, Zipline, Flying Fox) that pair with dining.
4. Wedding & Private Event Planning: Wild Horizons offers bespoke wedding packages with ceremonies along the Zambezi or at lodge properties, including riverside, bush, and gorge-edge settings. Private event services include corporate dinners, gala events, product launches, team building, and Zambezi picnic brunches/lunches in the National Park. Revenue is generated through venue hire, package pricing, and per-head catering charges.
5. Airport & Activity Transfers: Shared and private airport transfer services from Victoria Falls Airport (VFA), Livingstone Airport (LVI), and Kasane Airport (BBK). Cross-border road transfers between Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana are also arranged. These services are offered as standalone add-ons or bundled with accommodation and activity packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Wild Horizons is an owner-managed tour operator that runs four luxury safari lodges at Victoria Falls (The Elephant Camp, Old Drift Lodge, The Wallow Lodge, and Waterfalls Lodge) alongside The Lookout Café restaurant. The company packages accommodation with curated adventure activities — including white-water rafting, helicopter flights, sunset cruises, game drives, and Chobe day trips — into tailor-made, multi-night itineraries for international leisure travelers.

Product overview

Wild Horizons operates a portfolio of four luxury safari lodges at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (The Elephant Camp, Old Drift Lodge, The Wallow Lodge, and Waterfalls Lodge), complemented by The Lookout Café award-winning restaurant perched over Batoka Gorge, and a comprehensive range of adventure activities including helicopter flights, white-water rafting, sunset cruises, and Chobe National Park day trips. The company also offers wedding services and bundled Signature Special Packages combining multiple lodge stays with complimentary activities. The product portfolio spans accommodation (luxury tented camps to boutique hotels), dining, adventure tourism, and event services, all unified under the Wild Horizons brand as an integrated eco-tourism and adventure operator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust: Non-profit entity established by Wild Horizons for promoting conservation awareness, education, and community empowerment through sustainable use of endemic resources.

Products and services

• The Elephant Camp

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 1% globally in Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Best of the Best (Elephant Camp and Old Drift Lodge)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Eye Love Africa / Ministry of Health and Child Care (Zimbabwe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Wild Horizons partnered with Eye Love Africa and the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care to bring eye care to the local Victoria Falls and Livingstone region. The initiative distributed over 500 pairs of free reading glasses and conducted eye tests, directly supporting community health and welfare.
• TravelifecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Wild Horizons is a proud Travelife Partner, having completed the sustainability management, reporting, and compliance obligations required by Travelife's certification system for tour operators and travel agents. The Travelife Partner title demonstrates Wild Horizons' commitment to ethical tourism, environmental management, and social responsibility across all operations — from tours and lodge management to supplier practices.
• Victoria Falls Wildlife TrustflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Wild Horizons established the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust in 2008 as a non-profit vehicle for promoting conservation awareness, education, and community empowerment through the sustainable use of endemic resources. The Trust is situated within the Wild Horizons Wildlife Sanctuary adjacent to The Elephant Camp and is world-renowned for its success in wildlife research, outreach, rescue, and rehabilitation. The Trust conducts quarterly biological monitoring, runs a Conservation Education Program hosting over 1,000 school children annually, supports anti-poaching through VFAPU, and operates elephant herds as wildlife ambassadors. This is Wild Horizons' most significant strategic partnership — a foundational CSR and conservation initiative that differentiates the brand.
• Victoria Falls Anti Poaching Unit (VFAPU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWild Horizons sponsors three officers employed by the Victoria Falls Anti Poaching Unit to assist with anti-poaching activities in and around Victoria Falls. VFAPU has been instrumental in reducing poaching instances in the region.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWild Horizons partners with UNICEF in support of the Econet Victoria Falls Marathon and related community initiatives. Their collaboration focuses on installing solar-powered boreholes, restoring clean water access, and building climate-smart education infrastructure at rural schools including Ndlovu, Mkhosana, and Sizinda Secondary.
• African OdysseycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAfrican Odyssey provides 4x4 game-viewing vehicles and ground transport for Wild Horizons' Chobe day trips, specifically for the Botswana leg of cross-border excursions. Guests transfer from Wild Horizons vehicles to African Odyssey 4x4s at the Kazungula border for the Chobe game drive portion.
• Rovos RailminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRovos Rail operates luxury train journeys (Pretoria to Victoria Falls: 3 or 4 nights; Southern Cross: 11 nights) that terminate at Victoria Falls station. Wild Horizons is referenced as a preferred ground operator for guests arriving by Rovos Rail, providing transfers, lodge accommodation, and activity experiences.
• Airlink, Fastjet, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, South African Airways, CemAir, Air Tanzania, Mack AirminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEight airlines serve Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) with scheduled flights from Johannesburg, Cape Town, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Kasane, Maun, Windhoek, Dar es Salaam, and other hubs. These airline partnerships enable international access to Wild Horizons' destination, functioning as distribution channels that bring customers to Victoria Falls where Wild Horizons then provides ground services.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Ilala Lodge Hotel: Victoria Falls-based boutique hotel operator offering Falls-view accommodation and activity packages. Comparable on destination and product type but smaller scope than Wild Horizons' integrated four-property portfolio.

Direct peers

• Sanctuary Retreats: Operates luxury safari camps, lodges, and river cruises across Africa. Highly comparable product mix — tented camps plus river-based adventure experiences similar to Wild Horizons' Zambezi offerings.
• African Bush Camps: Boutique safari camp operator in southern Africa with a community-and-conservation-led brand similar to Wild Horizons' positioning. Compares on tented camp product and experiential adventure offerings.
• &Beyond: Luxury safari operator running a portfolio of high-end lodges and guided experiences across southern and eastern Africa. Highly comparable to Wild Horizons' vertically integrated luxury-safari-plus-adventure model.
• Wilderness Safaris: Africa-focused safari operator with a large portfolio of camps and lodges, offering curated wildlife and adventure itineraries. Comparable in business model, target customer, and lodge-plus-activity integration.
• Singita: Ultra-luxury African safari and conservation brand operating exclusive lodges and tented camps with a strong sustainability narrative. Direct competitor for premium safari bookings at Victoria Falls-adjacent destinations.
• Imvelo Safari Lodges: Zimbabwe-based safari lodge operator active in the Victoria Falls and Hwange region, offering community-embedded safari experiences. The most direct geographic competitor for the same inbound traveler pool.

Emerging players

• Micato Safaris: US-based luxury safari tour operator curating bespoke itineraries across Africa. Comparable as a packaging and distribution peer, though Micato outsources ground operations rather than operating its own lodges.
• Roar Africa: High-end bespoke African safari operator focused on ultra-luxury itineraries. Comparable on target customer (HNW travelers) and curated experience design, though smaller in physical asset base.

Others

• African Odyssey: Southern Africa ground-handling and safari tour operator that is already a partner of Wild Horizons for Chobe day trips. Ecosystem-adjacent rather than directly competitive, useful for benchmarking cross-border safari distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WildHorizons1
• Instagraminstagram.com/wildhorizonsvicfalls
• Xx.com/wildhorizons
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wild-horizons-victoria-falls

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wild Horizons