Luxury Tented Creations
An enduring partnership, withstanding significant headwinds
Project background
“Shamwari” is a word from the Southern African Shona language, meaning “friend”. The name was chosen for the Shamwari Private Game Reserve to reflect the foundation’s commitment to building strong relationships and trust between people, wildlife, and the environment.
With the foundation’s ethos in mind, and building on a long-standing working relationship based on shared values, Bushtec was chosen as development partner for Sindile Lodge. The result was a secluded boutique experience featuring elevated luxury tents, which offer guests sprawling vistas of unspoilt nature.
The Challenge
The lodge’s location at soaring altitudes exposed tents to high gusts of wind. This, coupled with the site’s dramatic topography, meant a careful revaluation and recalculation of tensile roof designs was required.
Bushtec committed to finding the best solution for the challenging task at hand.
Our Solution
Leveraging our expertise in tensile roof design and secure anchoring, each elevated tent was engineered to withstand truly battering gusts – tolerating wind speeds above 120km/hr.
Close collaboration between our design and construction teams ensured seamless integration with the lodge’s architectural vision, while preserving the site’s pristine environment.
Together with our client, we created an luxury lodge that blends effortlessly with nature, boasting tented villas, tensile roofs, panoramic decks, verandas and common lodge areas.
The Results
Shamwari’s Sindile Lodge now epitomises refined adventure. Drawing on decades of deep experience, Bushtec helped overcome challenging headwinds to bring it into greater and more sustainable harmony with nature.
More than that, the lodge stands as a testament to a partnership defined by loyalty, mutual support, and resilience – a powerful example of what’s possible when like-minded collaborators commit to creating remarkable experiences together.
Bushtec’s commitment to finding the right solution, even when faced with significant engineering challenges, exemplified true partnership. Their expertise in tensile design and honest, collaborative approach enabled us to create a lodge that perfectly balances luxury with our commitment to environmental harmony.
CEO Shamwari Private Game Reserve
Joe Cloete
Ready to Build Your Vision Together?
Whether you’re facing unique engineering challenges or planning an extraordinary safari experience, our partnership approach and technical expertise can help bring your vision to life. Let’s discuss how we can work together.