Tembe Elephant Park
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersKwangwanase, South Africa
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Tembe Elephant Park firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tembe Elephant Park
- Legal name
- Tembe Elephant Park
- Website
- https://tembe.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tembe Elephant Park industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Safari Lodge / Wildlife Tourism
- NAICS
- RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Safari Lodges (Big Five/Game Reserves) (THAGAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Safari Lodges & Tented Camps (THAAAHAC), Safari & Wilderness Luxury Resorts (THAGACAD), Wildlife Safaris & Game Drives (THAJAIAB), Safari & Game Drives (Land-Based) (THAAAEAC)
Keywords
Where Tembe Elephant Park is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kwangwanase
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tembe Elephant Park business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Lodge Accommodation: Luxury tented safari accommodation with multiple suite types (Tusker Suites, Duiker Suites, Family Suites). Revenue generated from per-night stays including full board meals.
- Game Drives and Safari Activities: Twice-daily guided game drives, spa treatments, and wildlife viewing experiences included in accommodation packages or available as add-ons.
- Packages and Special Experiences: Specialized packages including senior citizen discounts, honeymoon experiences, elephant workshops with Dr. Johan Marais, and guided walking trails.
- Gate Fees and Conservation Levies: Vehicle entry fees (R120-R340 per vehicle based on occupancy) and conservation levies (R80-R150 per person) for self-drive visitors.
- Spa and Wellness Services: Private outdoor spa treatments under tree canopy, charged separately from accommodation packages.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Tusker/Duiker Suites - Luxury tented accommodation |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Family Suites - Luxury tented family accommodation |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Self-Drive Option |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Senior Citizens Special Package |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Vanishing Giants Elephant Workshop |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Honeymoon & Anniversary Special |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Walking Trails Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Conservation Levy |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Tembe Elephant Park product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tembe Elephant Park operates a community-owned 300 km² Big Five game reserve and luxury safari lodge in Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The company sells luxury tented accommodation (Tusker, Duiker, and Family Suites) on a full-board basis, twice-daily guided game drives, spa treatments, walking trails, and curated specialized packages (honeymoon, senior citizen, elephant workshop, photography). It also collects gate fees and conservation levies from self-drive visitors.
Product overview
Tembe Elephant Park is a community-owned 300km2 Big Five game reserve and luxury safari lodge located in Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The park offers accommodation in three types of luxury tented safari suites (Tusker Suites, Duiker Suites, and Family Suites), each with private outdoor showers and air-conditioning. Core experiences include guided game drives, wildlife viewing from the Mahlasela Hide, a 24/7 live waterhole webcam stream, spa treatments, and walking trails. The lodge operates on a community-owned model where the Tembe tribe own and co-manage the reserve and lodge. Optional packages include elephant workshops with Dr. Johan Marais, photography workshops, senior citizen specials, and honeymoon packages. All rates include accommodation, meals, and two daily game drives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tusker Suites
Quantifiable outcome
- Tembe Elephant Park has grown to become the biggest private sector employer in the region and is the largest contributor to the local economy
Companies that use Tembe Elephant Park
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Tembe Elephant Park technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Tembe Elephant Park partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ezemvelo KZN WildlifecoreTembe Elephant Park was developed by Tembe Tribal Authority in partnership with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. The park was established in 1983 to protect elephants that migrated between Maputaland and southern Mozambique. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife serves as the provincial wildlife conservation authority co-managing the reserve.
- Rory Baker Photography / My Photo SchoolminorCollaboration with Rory Baker Photography for photography workshop experiences at Tembe Elephant Park. Rory Baker is founder of My Photo School and conducts workshops at the park.
- Dr. Johan MaraiscoreDr. Johan Marais, one of Africa's leading elephant photographers and a veterinarian specializing in wildlife, partners with Tembe for the Vanishing Giants Elephant Workshop. He has published multiple books on Africa's great tuskers and provides expert-led educational workshops at the park.
- Tembe Tusker FoundationcoreThe Tembe Tusker Foundation was founded to secure the future of the elephants at Tembe. The foundation supports conservation efforts and water projects for local communities.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Tembe Elephant Park competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- &Beyond: &Beyond operates luxury safari lodges across Southern and East Africa, including Big Five reserves. It is the closest large-scale analog to Tembe's high-end, community-adjacent safari lodge model.
- Asilia Africa: Asilia Africa runs community-linked tented safari camps across Tanzania and Kenya with conservation partnerships. Similar mid-to-upper-luxury tented safari positioning and community involvement to Tembe.
- Shamwari Private Game Reserve: Shamwari is an Eastern Cape Big Five reserve offering multiple luxury lodges, conservation programs, and safari experiences. Comparable to Tembe on luxury accommodation, Big Five game drives, and conservation-led brand positioning.
- Wilderness Safaris: Wilderness Safaris operates community- and conservation-linked luxury safari camps across Southern Africa. Similar operating model to Tembe in combining conservation, community benefit, and high-end tented lodging.
- Londolozi Private Game Reserve: Londolozi is a luxury Big Five reserve adjacent to Kruger with similar tented suite lodging, twice-daily game drives, and photographic safari focus — directly comparable on experience type and customer segment.
- Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve: Sabi Sabi is a luxury Big Five private reserve near Kruger offering tented and suite accommodation, twice-daily game drives, and spa services — closely comparable in product mix to Tembe.
- Singita: Singita runs ultra-luxury Big Five safari lodges in South Africa and Tanzania, often on conservation land. Comparable to Tembe on high-end tented accommodation, Big Five game viewing, and conservation-driven positioning.
Regional players
- Thonga Beach Lodge: Thonga is a community- and conservation-linked luxury lodge on the Elephant Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, near Tembe. Comparable on community-owned ethos, KwaZulu-Natal location, and tented luxury safari product mix.
- Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife: Ezemvelo is Tembe's co-management partner and runs adjacent reserves such as Ndumo and Hluhluwe-iMfolozi. Directly comparable on South African KwaZulu-Natal safari operations, though it is a public conservation body rather than a private lodge.
Broad incumbents
- SANParks (South African National Parks): SANParks operates Kruger National Park and other major reserves that overlap with Tembe's Big Five self-drive market. Serves the same broad safari demand but as a public, mass-market operator rather than a private luxury lodge.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tembe Elephant Park social profiles
Digital presenceTembe Elephant Park financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tembe Elephant Park leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Tembe Elephant Park subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Tembe Elephant Park funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tembe Elephant Park M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tembe Elephant Park
What does Tembe Elephant Park do?
Tembe Elephant Park operates a community-owned 300 km² Big Five game reserve and luxury safari lodge in Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The company sells luxury tented accommodation (Tusker, Duiker, and Family Suites) on a full-board basis, twice-daily guided game drives, spa treatments, walking trails, and curated specialized packages (honeymoon, senior citizen, elephant workshop, photography). It also collects gate fees and conservation levies from self-drive visitors.
Is Tembe Elephant Park a public or private company?
Tembe Elephant Park is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tembe Elephant Park founded?
Tembe Elephant Park was founded in 1983. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Tembe Elephant Park based?
Tembe Elephant Park is headquartered in Kwangwanase, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Tembe Elephant Park make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Lodge Accommodation is the primary driver. The others are game Drives and Safari Activities, packages and Special Experiences, gate Fees and Conservation Levies and spa and Wellness Services.
Who are Tembe Elephant Park's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are &Beyond, Asilia Africa, Shamwari Private Game Reserve, Wilderness Safaris, Londolozi Private Game Reserve, Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve and Singita. Regional players are Thonga Beach Lodge and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. SANParks (South African National Parks) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Tembe Elephant Park have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tembe Elephant Park.
What industry is Tembe Elephant Park in?
Tembe Elephant Park's product category is Safari Lodge / Wildlife Tourism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAGAIAA, Safari Lodges (Big Five/Game Reserves), with a secondary code of THAAAHAC, Safari Lodges & Tented Camps. Its NAICS code is 7212 and its SIC code is 7000.