More Than an NPO
Antswisa Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation based in the Mpumalanga Lowveld,in villages bordering the world-renowned Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Nature Reserve.
Founded in 2023 by siblings Dzunisani and Tlangelani Hlongwane, Antswisa Foundation is dedicated to improving communities and connecting people with nature. The foundation focuses on wildlife conservation, biodiversity protection, community development, and healthcare accessibility to create lasting impact for people, wildlife, and the South African economy.
The name Antswisa, from the Xitsonga/Shangaan language, means “Improve,” reflecting the foundation’s mission to empower communities and inspire the next generation.
A Home for Community and Conservation
Growing up in a family of safari and tourism professionals, the founders were exposed to wildlife from an early age in Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Nature Reserve. Recognizing that many local children lack these opportunities, Antswisa Foundation develops educational programs in conservation and wildlife protection, ensuring future generations understand, value, and safeguard their natural heritage.
By connecting communities, individuals, and businesses, Antswisa Foundation delivers sustainable, professional projects that make a real difference on the ground.
A Home for Community and Conservation
Growing up in a family of safari and tourism professionals, the founders were exposed to wildlife from an early age in Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Nature Reserve. Recognizing that many local children lack these opportunities, Antswisa Foundation develops educational programs in conservation and wildlife protection, ensuring future generations understand, value, and safeguard their natural heritage.
By connecting communities, individuals, and businesses, Antswisa Foundation delivers sustainable, professional projects that make a real difference on the ground.
Our Vision
Antswisa Foundation is dedicated to uplifting, upskilling, and empowering rural communities living near core conservation areas. The foundation works collaboratively to address essential developmental needs while fostering self-reliance, resilience, and active community participation.
By providing programs that encourage learning, unlearning, and skills development, Antswisa Foundation opens pathways to context-based careers, healthcare access, and economic opportunities.
The mission is to equip communities with the tools, knowledge, and mindset to thrive socially, economically, and healthily.
Antswisa believes that communities are their own greatest resource, and that with guidance and opportunity, rural African people can actively shape their future and contribute meaningfully to a changing world.
Our Mission
Antswisa Foundation is committed to conserving wildlife and empowering rural communities in the Mpumalanga Lowveld, near Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Nature Reserve.
The foundation’s mission focuses on:
- Wildlife and Conservation: Supporting the protection of natural habitats for future generations.
- Socio-Economic Development: Promoting entrepreneurship, improving livelihoods, and providing access to healthcare in rural communities.
- Skills and Education: Enhancing education and training in tourism and agriculture, the key employment sectors for local youth.
- Sustainable Growth: Driving long-term development in tourism and agriculture that benefits tourists, youth, marginalised groups, and local communities.
- Entrepreneurship and Opportunity: Inspiring community members to engage in local agriculture and tourism initiatives to build self-reliance and economic independence.
Through these initiatives, Antswisa Foundation creates lasting impact for people, wildlife, and the broader South African economy.
Our Purpose
Connecting People with Nature
WHY WE EXIST
The communities bordering Kruger National Park are rich in culture, talent, and natural heritage, yet many face limited access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunity. Antswisa Foundation bridges that gap.
HOW WE WORK
Through community-based development initiatives that provide access to farming and health education, skills development, enterprise support, and environmental conservation. We work directly with communities, not around them.
WHAT WE DO
We initiate and facilitate sustainable, professional community and conservation projects connecting people with the resources, knowledge, and partnerships they need to thrive.
Our Projects
9 Projects. One Mission. Real Impact.
Our projects are designed to address the full spectrum of community needs from the classroom to the clinic, from the farm to the stage.
CONSERVATION & ENVIRONMENT
Kids in the Wild
We take children from local elementary schools on Kruger National Park safaris for the very first time. We teach them about conservation, expose them to careers in wildlife, and help them see themselves as the next generation of protectors of Africa’s natural heritage. Because not every hero wears a suit, some wear field guide uniforms.
FOOD, HEALTH & WELLBEING
Eat From Your Backyard
We distribute seeds, training, and knowledge
to households ready to grow their own food. Working alongside Timbele Farm staff, we teach community members the fundamentals of farming empowering families to be
self-reliant and eat a healthier, balanced diet.
Let’s Beat Chronic Diseases
Access to healthcare shouldn’t be a privilege. We bring a general practitioner (every Tuesday) and a psychologist (every Thursday) directly into the community. We fund gym memberships, run health awareness drives, and address mental health, a topic too often left in the shadows.
CULTURE, HERITAGE & ENTERPRISE
Embrace Your Cultural Identity
In a world of fast globalisation, we protect what makes us uniquely us. We invite cultural experts, host showcases of traditional Tsonga practices, cooking, dress, dance, and craft and organise village tours where guests experience our way of life firsthand.
Entrepreneurship is Key in Africa
We give local vendors and craft designers a platform, a space, and the business training to grow. We provide funding to small businesses and support the tourism sector by promoting authentic local products and crafts.
YOUTH, SKILLS & THE FUTURE
Tourism & Agriculture Employability in Mpumalanga Lowveld
We challenge the narrative that only big university degrees lead to success. We invite industry experts to share real career paths in tourism and agriculture fields that dominate this region and offer sustainable, lasting employment.
You Are Your Own Responsibility
Focused on early childhood development and women’s empowerment, this project delivers parenting classes, early learning centres, nutritional programmes, community health drives, and financial literacy workshops for women. Because empowered mothers raise empowered children.
Hospitality As a Tool to Fight Unemployment
We place hospitality graduates at hotels, lodges, and restaurants across Mpumalanga for hands-on workplace experience. We then connect those now-experienced graduates with real job opportunities breaking the cycle of unemployment one placement at a time.
Discover the Next Sports Stars From the Dusty Villages of Mpumalanga
We use sports, soccer, netball, cricket to pull young people away from crime and into confidence. We organise competitions, provide gear, and combine athletics with academic support. Because the next national champion might just be from Mabarhule.
VILLAGE TOUR BOOKABLE EXPERIENCE
Visit a Shangaan Village Bordering Kruger & Sabi Sand
Step off the game drive and into the heartbeat of Mpumalanga.
South Africa’s richest treasure isn’t only found in the reserves, it’s in the people who live beside them. Our Shangaan Village Tour takes you into the rural communities of Mabarhule, Justicia, and Lilydale for an authentic, immersive cultural experience unlike anything you’ll find at a resort.
This isn’t a performance. This is real life and you’re warmly invited in.
Tour Includes
- Visit to a Local Pre-School – Meet the children and see early childhood development in action.
- Time with Shangaan Women – Watch (and taste!) the preparation of traditional local cuisine.
- Traditional Dance Encounters – Experience one or two cultural dance performances and interact with local dancers.
- Visit to a Traditional Healer – Discover the ancient wisdom of indigenous medicine.
- Stop at the Craft Centre – Browse and purchase handmade crafts, directly supporting local artisans.
Why It Matters
Every tour booking directly supports the villagers you visit and funds Antswisa Foundation’s ongoing community projects.
You leave with memories.
They gain meaningful resources.
Tour Note: Activities are flexible based on your available time and interests. All tours are guided and operated by Vomba Tours in partnership with Antswisa Foundation.
TIMBELE FARM TOUR BOOKABLE EXPERIENCE
Farm Day Tour
Timbele Organic Village Farm Mabarhule, Mpumalanga
Get your hands in the soil and reconnect with where food truly comes from. Timbele Farm is a working, family-owned organic farm nestled in Mabarhule Village, surrounded by trees and vibrant birdlife. More than just a farm, it is a living classroom rooted in sustainability and community.
Perfect for families, school groups, agri-tourism enthusiasts,
and anyone interested in food security and sustainable farming
in rural South Africa.
Our Team
Dzunisani Hlongwane
Founder & Executive Director
Dzunisani founded the Antswisa Foundation in 2023, a non-profit organization based on the border of the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga.
Hailing from Mabarhule, his deep connection to wildlife and culture began in a world without screens. “It was a priceless childhood,” he remembers, “challenging but rewarding in its simplicity.” This passion led him to the luxury safari industry in 2018, where he trained as a specialist tracker at 5-star reserves, including Londolozi and Samara. Today, he is a lead tour operator, sharing the wonders of the Kruger National Park with guests from around the globe.
In my current role as chairman of at Antswisa Foundation, I am responsible for overseeing the operations strategies and ensuring that they are in line with the foundation’s overall vision and mission.
Tlangelani Hlongwane
Founder & Project Officer
Tlangelani is the founder and project officer of the innovative Antswisa Foundation, a non-profit organisation.
Driven by her childhood in Mabarhule, Tlangelani is a dedicated social scientist and researcher specialising in rural child development. With a Master’s in Sociology from the University of Johannesburg and a Ph.D. in progress, she combines academic expertise with a passion for her community. Leading the Antswisa Foundation’s strategy, she fosters the partnerships and inspiration needed to address health and development challenges in rural South Africa.
Tlangelani also serves as an ambassador for the project, guiding its direction, aligning operations, engaging with stakeholders, and ensuring personal effectiveness in management.
Emily Horowitz, PsyD
Ambassador
A New York–based clinical psychologist with nearly 20 years of experience, Dr. Horowitz brings world-class mental health expertise to Antswisa Foundation. Experience includes the New York Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the MAPS Phase III Clinical Trial for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. Dr. Horowitz bridges international clinical excellence with community-level mental health access, championing inclusive and trauma-informed care.
Jabulani Ndlovu
Community Partnerships Project Manager
A seasoned social entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience supporting schools, home-based care facilities, old age homes, and ECD centres. Experience includes managing community projects for Singita Lowveld Trust, contributing to Wits University’s Agincourt Research Unit, and building partnerships with Old Mutual, Konica Minolta, and Nedbank. Currently oversees the placement of hospitality graduates into lodges, hotels, and tour operators across Mpumalanga.
Doylance Mbungela
Safari Field Guide & Nature Conservation Coach
Combines field expertise with a passion for youth education, with over five years working with schools and ECD centres on environmental education and six years at the Good Work Foundation as an Open Learning Academy Programme Coordinator. Trained as a Field Guide at Lion Sands Game Reserve, bringing conservation to life for young learners and inspiring the next generation of conservation leaders.
Support Us
Whether you’re a tourist, a business, a donor, or a partner there is a place for you in this story.
Every contribution big or small goes directly into the communities bordering Kruger National Park. It funds the kids going on their first safari. The mother is learning to grow her own food. The graduates are getting their first real job. The child is seeing a doctor for the first time.
Ways to Get Involved:
Donate Online
Give securely through our verified fundraising platforms:
GivenGain | GoFundMe
Become a Project Sponsor
Fund one of our 9 active projects and receive full impact reporting. Contact us to find the right fit for your organisation.
Partner With Us
Are you a business, lodge, tour operator, or NGO?
Let’s build something meaningful together.
Contact Us
TRUSTED & ACCREDITED
We Are Recognised, Regulated & Ready to Deliver
Antswisa Foundation operates with full transparency,
in partnership with the organisations that matter most in South Africa's tourism, culture, and community development landscape.
Accreditation & Partnerships
Antswisa Foundation (Reg. No: 24/098664/08) is a standing member of the South African Township & Village Tourism Association (SATOVITO), providing valuable networking opportunities and strengthening collaboration between government, townships, and villages.
The foundation works closely with key government agencies and authorities,including the National Department of Tourism (NDT), South African Tourism (SAT), Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), CATHSSETA, Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), CoGTA, and provincial tourism authorities such as the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA),ensuring legal compliance and smooth provision of services.