If You Love South African Wine, This Safari Is Perfect

Big Five Safari

An immersive experience with the Big Five - lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinoceroses - is one of the main attractions of the 45,000-hectare Singita Sabi Sand, a lesser-frequented private game reserve bordering the beloved Kruger National Park.

A Wine Cellar Worth Visiting

However, the wine cellar at Singita Ebony Lodge, the first luxury safari property opened three decades ago, offers another unique world-class experience.

Singita, one of the largest purchasers of South African wines at auction, operates 16 lodges, tented camps, and villas across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Rwanda, boasting a collection of nearly 200,000 bottles of South African wine, making it the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Nearly half of the wines are stored in a warehouse strategically located near some of South Africa’s outstanding wineries in Stellenbosch, the heart of the Cape Winelands.

The collection includes a mix of exclusive releases, private reserve wines, limited single-vineyard selections, and rare auction wines. With nearly 85 producers, 60% of the bottles are red, 30% white, and 10% a blend of dessert wines, liquor wines, and Méthode Cap Classique (MCC), South African sparkling wine made using traditional Champagne methods.

Many of our wines are carefully tasted, selected, and purchased - some at auctions or as single casks, years before they even reach your table, says Kenny Nassen, Singita's Premier Wine Operations and Admin Manager.

There are also Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs produced in the Burgundy style from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, whose location along the Southern Atlantic reflects the cool coastal climate of California’s Sonoma Coast.

From full-bodied and structured styles to refreshing, vibrant wines, we have them all, says Nassen.

With a founding philosophy based on community, conservation, and sustainability, Singita partners with producers committed to conservation in the Cederberg Wilderness Area of the Karoo in the Western Cape.

To democratize wine, Singita's wine program also fosters Africa's next generation of sommeliers through on-site training in lodges.

The wine program empowers local communities, equipping them with essential skills and career opportunities, enhancing inclusivity within the wine industry across various sectors in Africa.

The most exciting aspect of South African wines is the incredible quality and dynamism of our wine industry.

(Lana Nieset)