The Tau Foundation

Madikwe has the distinction of being one of the few game reserves in the world to be proclaimed purely on the grounds of being the most appropriate and sustainable land use for an area.
It further represents an extension to this philosophy in that it is run as a joint venture between the state, the private sector and local communities. The aim being, to wherever possible, involve the local community in wealth creation through tourism, skills and training and to involve the local communities directly in the benefits of wildlife tourism and the protection of the natural environment.

In line with this philosophy, Tau's owner Robert Gerard, set up the Tau Foundation to fund the community project and encouraged his overseas business visitors to contribute and make donations towards this non profit organisation.
Since it's inception The Tau Foundation, driven by Tau's director Clifford Green, has implemented a number of impressive projects in the local Supingstad community and we are proud of what the Tau Foundation has achieved so far. The social responsibility programme is delivering tangible results at the various local schools. This includes the fencing and safe keeping of the school properties and upgrading of the school sports fields and play grounds.

The renovation of school buildings and facilities, setting up of vegetable gardens, computer rooms, creating a Borehole and installing guttering and water tanks and toilets with running water at the high school.
Guests visiting the lodge are offered the opportunity to visit the Supingstad schools, the local leather factory, some traditional historical sites or they can contribute to the soup kitchen which Tau arranges at the schools.
The Tau foundation has also granted University sponsorships to students with academic potential and stimulates their performing arts by employing the high school pupils as a singer-dance group.

This Tswana Traditional group "Ditshepe tse di Tshetlana" was formed by Sacky Suping in January 2004 and includes members from the nearby Supingstad village and traditional wedding and harvest songs are incorporated in their performances.
Our guests play a critical role in supporting the Tau foundation by integrating local and international travellers and rural people to their mutual benefit.
Tau Game lodge recently applied for BEE status evaluation and as a result was accredited as a level three contributor.

The Tau Tree Fund is aimed at giving our guests an opportunity to contribute back to the environment. With trees nowadays being a precious, renewable, natural resource it has become of growing importance to plant more indigenous trees. Especially the more endangered species, trees such as the Maroela (Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra). We have also managed to acquire eight Bushveld Red Balloon trees (Erythrophysa traansvaalensis). These trees are extremely rare and less than 50 of them are known of in the greater Madikwe area. So far we have planted over 50 trees in and around the Tau Lodge area.

With the ever-growing pressure that is put on the environment by man, and domestic and wild animals, it is essential that we start making a concerted effort to conserve our natural surroundings. The Tau Tree Fund was started to allow visitors to the Tau Game Lodge the opportunity to plant protected tree species and to learn a little about the trees that they are planting.
Information supplied to the guests includes the medicinal purposes, African folklore, natural habitat, ecology, animal and plant relationships, etc.of their chosen tree.

There is a selection of indigenous trees (which we purchase from the Masibudile community) to choose from. At the moment we have eight tree species to choose from, but as the fund grows we will be able to increase the amount of species we are able to purchase. Basically how it works is that the guests can choose what tree they wish to plant. The cost is R400.00 per tree. The guests and their guide will choose a suitable area to plant it and dig the hole. A photo is taken to document the guest involvement in planting the tree and placed in a photo album, which has its home on a stand in the main lodge. There is also a plaque that states the name/s of the people that planted the tree, the tree species and the date it was planted, which is added to a board above the photo album. The fund is open to other lodges in Madikwe and anyone else who would want to plant a tree in the reserve.

We are working closely with the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and our supplying nurseries, so that from time to time when the trees seed, they are able to collect seeds for further regeneration.