Sense of Africa - Where small things matter

Creating awareness in staff to be environmentally conscious at all times is not an easy feat. Sense of Africa takes pride in ensuring that their employees are well versed in the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse and recycle), especially since it is the largest tour operator in Namibia, employing 130 staff members.

Sense of Africa offers versatile itineraries, expert insight into all Namibian safari destinations, as well as providing high quality customer care and personalised service. Concentrating predominantly on group travel with various scheduled, guided tours and fly-in safaris, Sense of Africa also offers self-drive tours and privately guided tours. Running a relatively big operation, the company believes in concentrating on every small issue and aspect, so as to reduce wastage and thus diminish the company’s carbon footprint.

Recycling forms a large part of the daily operations at Sense of Africa, Recycling bins are found inside and outside the offices, as well as inside the workshop and the wash bay. Employees are encouraged to even bring old batteries from their homes, so that they may be disposed of in a box marked for that particular use. All oil waste as well as oil accumulated through vehicles’ oil changes in the workshop, is stored in a large container and removed from site twice a month, so that it may be recycled in an environmentally friendly manner.

Saving water is just as important, therefore only endemic plants, most of which are succulents, are planted in the company’s garden. The wash bay is fitted with a low water output/high pressure system that uses the minimum amount of water for the cleaning of vehicles. Guests are given reusable water bottles on arrival which can be replenished from a 25 litre container, which supplies clean drinking water on each vehicle. Any water left after the completion of a tour is reused internally by staff.

Furthermore, each guest is issued with a carry bag made of durable material in order to avoid the use of plastic shopping bags. Travel packs handed to guests are made of high quality, linen pouches which guests take home and can re-use for years to come on other trips.

Sense of Africa supports local cleaning products and buys these in bulk containers. Smaller bottles or containers are then continually refilled from there, thus further reducing the carbon footprint of the company and its offices.

Finally, all vehicles have been installed with a satellite tracking device which allows for monitoring of the vehicles, thus ensuring the safety of all guests by remaining within prescribed speed limit. The added benefit is that the vehicles are governed and limited to a maximum speed of 100km/h, which saves fuel and certainly diminishes carbon output.

By implementing these measures not only in Namibia, but also at its sister companies in Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, Sense of Africa contributes towards a better environment and future.