Conscious of the potential impact of long-haul travel, we launched our own carbon-offsetting initiative in 2020 with our nominated charity partner, One Tree Planted. For every client travelling with Mahlatini, we will fund the planting of one tree in reforestation projects across Kenya and Rwanda. The focus is on rebuilding animal habitats, restoring soil and critical watersheds, all while improving the lives of the communities who rely most heavily on the forests. These reforestation projects also work to educate farmers on the benefits of improved forestry practices, providing communities with sustainable sources of food, wood, and income.

The team at Mahlatini frequently revisit our favourite African destinations. To balance out our own carbon footprint, we will naturally also plant a tree for every staff flight through our One Tree Planted partnership. A small step in the right direction to limit climate change impacts.

Social responsibility is at the epicentre of our business practice and a core consideration in our supply chain. We are delighted to partner with The Joinery, a sustainable and ethical product design house based in South Africa, to create our bespoke branded travel items. Our clients’ luxury booking packs are not only practical and stylish, they create ‘change through design’ as their unique felt fabric is made from recycled plastic bottles, collected from the streets and saved from landfill and our oceans.

In 2022, we embarked on a new phase in our sustainability journey by signing Business In The Community's (BITC) Climate Action Pledge. This represents our public commitment to achieving a 50% reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The Climate Action Pledge is an integral component of Business Action on Climate, a collaborative initiative that positions us at the forefront of the fight toward a greener planet.

BITC's advisory services delivered comprehensive training aimed at providing best-practice support regarding sustainability and strategy to our dedicated Sustainability Committee. Members of our team also took part in further essential training and met all the requirements of the Carbon Literacy Standard. We have implemented a series of tangible changes across the business including the installation of solar panels in office premises, switch to company electric vehicles, adoption of energy-efficient practices and upgrade of our recycling processes; with a commitment to continual improvements.