{{Short description|Safari lodge in South Africa}}
'''Thanda Safari''' is a five-star [[safari lodge]] at the heart of the [[Elephant Coast]] in [[Umkhanyakude District Municipality]] ([[KwaZulu-Natal]]), [[South Africa]]. The founders are Christin and [[Dan Olofsson]] from Malmö, Sweden.
'''Thanda Safari''' is a [[safari lodge]] in [[Umkhanyakude District Municipality]] ([[KwaZulu-Natal]]), [[South Africa]]. It was founded by [[Dan Olofsson]]<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Coetzer |first=Diane |date=August 18, 2007 |title=Nash's Smash |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=119 |issue=33 |page=45}}</ref> who invested more than {{ZAR|100 million}}<ref>{{Cite book |title=Financial Mail |publisher=S.A.A.N. Limited |year=2005 |volume=182–183 |quote=Two years ago, a Swedish investor ploughed more than R100m into the Thanda Private Game Reserve, a new five-star lounge between [...] and Hlahluwe.}}</ref> in the property in 2002.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Groenewald |first=Yolandi |date=January 8, 2010 |title=Schabir Shaik's parole paradise |work=[[Mail & Guardian]] |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2010-01-08-schabir-shaiks-parole-paradise/ |access-date=May 12, 2023}}</ref> The reserve was formerly a cattle farm.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brooks |first=Shirley |title=African Hosts & Their Guests: Cultural Dynamics of Tourism |last2=Spierenburg |first2=Marja |last3=Wels |first3=Harry |publisher=[[James Currey]] |year=2012 |isbn=9781847010490 |editor-last=van Beek |editor-first=Walter |pages=216–218 |editor-last2=Schmidt |editor-first2=Annette}}</ref>
The word Thanda means love in [[Zulu language]] and the Thanda lodge operation is a celebration of the Zulu culture.
In 2009, Thanda made it to the top as The World’s Leading Luxury Lodge.<ref>http://www.saconference.co.za/forum/topic/show?id=2001419%3ATopic%3A13017 Winner of the World's Leading Luxury Lodge price</ref> The prize has been called the Oscar of the travel industry.
It is situated near the ocean and the bush, offering hotel guests a spa, star gazing and safaris to see [[Big Five Game|the Big Five]].
In 2009 the Thanda area was expanded with the land of King [[Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu]], and after the merger it comprises a total of 14,000 hectares of land. The area is home to black rhinoceros which is on the brink of extinction. It was moved to the area to secure its survival.
The firm is a member of [[The Leading Hotels of the World]].
==Social responsibility==
The reserve supports projects that create jobs and protects the nature and wildlife as well as stopping the spreading of HIV/AIDS, including the JAC Initiative, [[Star for Life]], the Thanda Foundation and the African Impact volunteer programme.
==See also==
==See also==
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==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.thanda.com Thanda's official website]
^Financial Mail. Vol. 182–183. S.A.A.N. Limited. 2005. Two years ago, a Swedish investor ploughed more than R100m into the Thanda Private Game Reserve, a new five-star lounge between [...] and Hlahluwe.
^Brooks, Shirley; Spierenburg, Marja; Wels, Harry (2012). van Beek, Walter; Schmidt, Annette (eds.). African Hosts & Their Guests: Cultural Dynamics of Tourism. James Currey. pp. 216–218. ISBN9781847010490.
