The guests at Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino on July 4 were not conservationists, lawmakers or anti-poaching campaigners. They were lifestyle journalists, social media influencers and content creators, the very people who increasingly shape consumer tastes and travel aspirations.
Gathered in earthy tones of olive, sage and terracotta, they were there to sample a new collection of house wines. But the launch of the Saving the Wild range was about more than tasting notes and food pairings. It was an effort to turn hospitality into a platform for conservation and to recruit the power of lifestyle storytelling in support of Africa’s endangered wildlife.
The collection, launched by Minor Hotels through its Avani brand, consists of three wines produced by South Africa’s Hoopenburg Wine Estate: a Cabernet/Merlot blend, Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé. A portion of proceeds from every bottle sold will support the work of Saving the Wild, a conservation organisation operating across southern and eastern Africa.
“As Minor Hotels expands into more of Africa’s protected wilderness areas, we believe the protection of these ecosystems is our shared responsibility,” said Nico Vivier, Regional Director of Operations and Development for Minor Hotels Africa.
The choice of audience was deliberate. In an age where travel destinations, restaurants and brands rise or fall on social media visibility, conservation groups are increasingly recognising that awareness campaigns no longer begin in boardrooms or conference halls. They begin on Instagram reels, TikTok videos and lifestyle pages.
Each bottle in the collection tells a story. The Cabernet/Merlot carries the image of a rhinoceros, the Sauvignon Blanc an elephant and the Rosé a pangolin — three species heavily targeted by wildlife traffickers. The labels feature fine-art wildlife photography enhanced with gold foil detailing that highlights the very body parts for which the animals are illegally poached.
The wines also serve as a gateway to conservation content. QR codes on every bottle link consumers to documentary films produced by Saving the Wild, allowing guests to move from the dining table to the realities of wildlife crime with a simple scan.
For Avani and its parent company Minor Hotels, the launch is a shift in luxury hospitality. Hotels are increasingly selling experiences built around sustainability, ethical consumption and environmental responsibility, particularly in Africa where tourism and wildlife conservation are deeply intertwined. “As Minor Hotels expands into more of Africa’s protected wilderness areas, we believe the protection of these ecosystems is our shared responsibility,” said Nico Vivier, Regional Director of Operations and Development for Minor Hotels Africa.
