A travel revolution that combines luxury, sustainability and rural upliftment
The first ever Glamping Expo at the Johannesburg Expo Centre. Photo: Supplied
JOHANNESBURG - Entrepreneur and activist Gugu Sithole is using glamping as a force for good, creating eco-friendly stays in overlooked parts of South Africa while uplifting local communities. Sithole launched her glamping journey, Glamping Adventures, in 2019 after noticing that less than 5% of the country's population engaged in domestic tourism, largely due to high costs, limited access and the exclusion of rural communities from the tourism value chain.
Glamping Adventures offers a combination of packages, one being a fully furnished mobile tent with a bed, carpet, side table and flowers among others.
The tents are set up in different tourist destinations around the country. The second package allows travellers to choose a destination of their choice, such as at a resort, but have Glamping Adventures draft up an itinerary.
'I wanted to create a company that would get as many South Africans travelling their own backyard,' Sithole said.
Her model emphasises working with rural communities, ensuring locals are not just observers but participants as guides, hosts, artisans, and entrepreneurs.
'Most people in these communities are spectators in tourism. I wanted them to be at the centre,' Sithole explained. Sithole said at its core, glamping was about eco-conscious travel, prioritising sustainable materials and low-impact structures such as geodesic domes, eco-pads and elevated tents which protect local biodiversity and preserve cultural heritage. 'We're taking less from the environment, preserving our flora, fauna, and cultural artefacts. Glamping is regenerative tourism; it gives back while letting travellers immerse themselves in South Africa's beauty.'She recently hosted the first-ever Glamping Expo at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in partnership with the Gauteng Tourism Authority and Southern African Tourism Services on 20- 21 June 2025. Sithole said this was important to have exhibitors across the country come together, 'once we are coordinated and a cohesive unit, then we're able to influence government in terms of helping us with making it easy for infrastructure development, for roads leading to the glamp stays'.
The event attracted over 20 exhibitors such as Impi Canvas Tents, Canvas Republic, Picnic in a Bubble and Tlhari Travel.
It brought together eco-resort developers, innovators, tour operators and destination marketers, among others. On display were glass domes, pyramid lodges, eco-cabins, alongside panel discussions by industry experts, workshops by finance specialists and an innovation competition for high school and university students on glamping ideas to pitch. One of the unique exhibitors was 'Picnic in a Bubble', offering transparent pop-up domes for a stylish picnic.Exhibitors like Tlhari Travel offered glamping-inclusive packages paired with unforgettable experiences from Kruger Shalati - Train on a Bridge, to low-cost, pitch-your-own glamping options for budget-conscious travellers.
Sithole's mission took centre stage at the Expo, where pioneers in sustainable tourism came together to present a greener, more inclusive future for travel.
'It's about sustainable ways of travelling and taking less from the environment, using structures that are off-grid and using less electricity'.
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