Radisson Safari Hoedspruit has become Africa’s first Verified Net Zero hotel, marking a milestone for sustainable tourism in South Africa and expanding Radisson Hotel Group’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its hotel operations.
Located in Limpopo province, near Kruger National Park and Blyde River Canyon, the 138-room property has introduced changes across energy use, dining, waste management, water conservation and purchasing. The aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining the comfort and services expected by leisure travellers and business guests.
The achievement also advances Radisson Hotel Group’s ambition to operate 100 Verified Net Zero hotels by 2030. The programme has been introduced at properties in the United Kingdom and Nordic countries, with Hoedspruit becoming its first African destination.
The group’s Verified Net Zero Hotels programme addresses emissions across three categories. Scope 1 covers direct emissions from sources a hotel controls, while Scope 2 accounts for emissions associated with purchased energy. Scope 3 covers other indirect emissions across the hotel’s supply chain and activities, including food, laundry, waste and procurement.
According to the group, the programme prioritises reducing emissions at their source, with the goal of virtually eliminating Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and significantly reducing Scope 3 emissions. Remaining emissions are addressed through carbon removal credits. The hotel’s compliance with the programme’s methodology is independently verified by TÜV Rheinland.
Tim Cordon, Chief Operating Officer for the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia Pacific at Radisson Hotel Group, said the launch demonstrates how existing hotels can reduce their environmental impact through renewable electricity, electrification and changes to everyday operations without compromising the guest experience.
The hotel’s energy strategy combines on-site solar generation with renewable electricity procurement. The group also says a solar wheeling agreement is planned for 2027. Under this arrangement, a renewable energy supplier feeds solar-generated electricity into the national grid, with an equivalent contracted amount allocated to the hotel’s electricity consumption.
Electrification is another part of the property’s transition. Electric equipment is used extensively in the kitchen, while heat pumps provide hot water for guest rooms. Electric golf carts and three-wheel utility vehicles are also used for daily operations, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Water management and waste reduction form another part of the hotel’s approach. The property treats and recycles all its wastewater through an on-site treatment plant. It also works with specialist recycling partners to manage different waste streams, including plastic, glass, paper and food waste.
Shodulla Recycling handles recyclable materials, while Egg Brothers processes food waste through composting and worm-farming initiatives. These partnerships support the hotel’s ambition to divert waste from landfill.
The property has also changed how it manages bathroom amenities and drinking water. Bulk bathroom products help reduce single-use plastic packaging, with containers returned to the supplier through a closed-loop recycling system. Glass water bottles replace other packaging, and additional amenities are available on request to limit unnecessary consumption.
Guests can contribute through towel-reuse options and flexible housekeeping arrangements, which help reduce water use, energy consumption and cleaning products. The planned use of the STAY e-concierge app is also intended to reduce printed information in guest rooms by giving visitors digital access to hotel information and services.
Food is another area targeted for emissions reduction. Working with Klimato, a food sustainability platform, the hotel is introducing carbon-labelled menus that show guests the emissions associated with their dining choices. The information also helps the culinary team assess ingredients and recipes and develop lower-carbon alternatives. These options are being prioritised on menus and buffets.
The hotel is extending its sustainability efforts to suppliers and other products used in daily operations. Through Zanetti Collection, used Hausbrandt coffee bags are repurposed into reusable shopping bags through a local community sewing project that supports employment and social programmes. Compostable coffee capsules and Ronnefeldt tea products with recyclable packaging and compostable tea bags are also part of its waste-reduction measures.
Staff training, energy monitoring and preventative maintenance support the changes across housekeeping, engineering, food and beverage, and front office operations. The approach is intended to make resource efficiency part of routine hotel management rather than a separate initiative.
Inge Huijbrechts, Chief Sustainability and Security Officer at Radisson Hotel Group, said the programme addresses more than a hotel’s energy supply. She highlighted the need to reduce emissions across food and beverage, waste, laundry, amenities, procurement and other operational activities.
Huijbrechts also pointed to independent verification by TÜV Rheinland as a way to provide greater confidence in the hotel’s environmental credentials for guests, owners and corporate customers.
For emissions that remain after reduction measures, the hotel uses carbon credits procured through Greentrade from the South Africa-based GRASS project. This forms the final step in the programme’s stated approach, which prioritises direct emissions reductions before addressing the remaining footprint.
Beyond its environmental measures, Radisson Safari Hoedspruit offers 138 rooms and suites, including accommodation options with private pools, alongside dining venues, spa facilities and meeting spaces. The property overlooks the Drakensberg Mountains and caters to both leisure travellers exploring the region’s wildlife and landscapes and guests attending business gatherings.
The hotel’s designation brings the Verified Net Zero programme into a safari destination where the surrounding natural environment is central to the visitor experience. It also gives Radisson Hotel Group an African property through which to demonstrate how an established hotel can adapt its energy systems, supply chains and daily practices to reduce emissions.
The launch represents a further step towards the group’s target of 100 Verified Net Zero hotels by 2030. The programme’s progress will depend on continued emissions reductions, the implementation of planned measures and independent verification of participating properties.
For reservations and further information, travellers can visit the official Radisson Hotels website.
