Radisson Hotel Group has named its 138-room safari property in Hoedspruit, Limpopo, Africa’s first Verified Net Zero hotel, extending a sustainability programme previously concentrated in Europe.
A first for African hospitality
Radisson Safari Hotel Hoedspruit, near Kruger National Park and the Blyde River Canyon, received the designation following third-party verification by TÜV Rheinland, the company said on 27 October.
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The group says its Verified Net Zero standard covers direct fuel use, purchased energy and parts of a hotel’s wider supply chain. The stated approach is to cut emissions first, then use carbon-removal credits for the remainder that cannot yet be eliminated.
The Hoedspruit hotel is Radisson’s tenth verified property globally and its first on the African continent. The company is targeting 100 Verified Net Zero hotels by 2030.
Electricity, water and waste measures
Radisson says the property combines on-site solar generation with renewable electricity procurement. A solar-wheeling agreement is due to begin in 2027, allowing an equivalent contracted volume of solar power to be fed into South Africa’s grid for the hotel’s use.
Its kitchen has been extensively electrified, while heat pumps provide hot water. Electric golf carts and utility vehicles are also used in daily operations, reducing reliance on fossil fuels on site.
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The hotel says it recycles all wastewater through its own treatment plant. It has also introduced waste separation, food-waste composting and worm-farming partnerships, alongside refillable bathroom amenities designed to reduce plastic waste.
Why it matters
Tourism is closely tied to Africa’s natural assets, particularly in safari destinations where wildlife, water and landscapes are central to the visitor economy. The Hoedspruit project places a major international hotel group’s climate commitments in a region where environmental pressure and infrastructure constraints are tangible business issues.
For Black communities in South Africa and across the continent, the development matters beyond hotel branding. It tests whether greener tourism can create local economic links through suppliers, recycling businesses and community enterprises while reducing pressure on ecosystems that support jobs and livelihoods.
Radisson said used coffee bags are being upcycled into reusable shopping bags by a local sewing project. Its food programme will also use carbon-labelled menus, intended to help guests see the emissions associated with meal choices and support lower-carbon purchasing by the hotel.
Independent verification is significant because net-zero claims vary widely across the travel industry. TÜV Rheinland assessed the hotel under Radisson’s Net Zero Methodology for Hotels, which the group says is aligned with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
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The longer-term test will be whether the model can be replicated at African hotels with differing access to renewable energy, capital and waste-management systems. For now, Hoedspruit offers a high-profile example of how an existing safari property can be adapted rather than replaced to pursue lower-carbon operations.