The proposed 240-bed Malelane Safari Lodge in the Kruger National Park, which was recently approved will meet the needs of the emerging market, says KNP Managing Executive, Glenn Phillips.
According to Phillips, there is a demand from the emerging market for a product that provides a full service in addition to the safari experience of the park. “KNP currently offers self-catering facilities throughout the park which are hugely popular but fall short in meeting the needs of the emerging market,” he says.
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Phillips added that the development was in line with the peripheral development policy which allows for development on the periphery of the park.
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Phillips said the environmental impact assessment reflected the ecological feasibility of the development. “In fact, it should be noted that the total development footprint in the Kruger National Park is still less than 4%, making it a national park with the lowest development footprint in the world".
“We are happy with the EIA report and we are satisfied with the process which was followed from the beginning of the study to the end thereof,” says Phillips, adding that the approval comes after a comprehensive and detailed independent environmental scrutiny.
Phillips, said the 240-bed facility was not going to be a high-rise building in the mould of the general perception but would complement its surroundings.
