A Story of Sacred Trees, Shared Wisdom, and Sustainable Futures

For as long as Londolozi has existed, the marula tree has stood as a quiet sentinel – its wide, welcoming canopy a witness to laughter, tears, decisions, and dreams.

It is said that at Londolozi, all problems are solved beneath a marula tree. Here, in the shade of its branches, people gather in lachotla – circles of conversation where listening precedes speaking and mutual respect guides every word. These trees have been the backdrop to family councils, moments of healing, wild celebrations, and quiet reconciliations. Beneath the marula, the pace of life slows, and something ancient awakens.

The Sacred Rhythm of Heritage

Today, South Africa celebrates Heritage Day! We are reminded that heritage is not merely about looking backwards; it is about understanding how the wisdom of our ancestors flows forward into the choices we make today. Heritage Day, established in 1996 as a celebration of our Rainbow Nation’s rich cultural tapestry, invites us to honour not just the diversity of languages, traditions, and customs that make us who we are, but also the natural heritage that has sustained us for millennia. In our beautiful country, heritage lives not in museums but in the continuing relationship between people and place. It breathes in the stories shared around fires, in the recipes passed from grandmother to granddaughter, and in the shade of ancient trees that have witnessed generations come and go.

Creation through Conversation

The Marriage Tree: Symbol of Our Shared Heritage

Since the 1970s, the women of Londolozi have harvested the marula’s rich, golden nut – a source of rare Vitamin C and powerful regenerative oil. But more than just a nut, the marula has been a sacred ceremony of sharing, a ritual of care passed hand to hand, season after season. It has nourished bodies, sparked connection, and reminded us of the abundance of the African landscape when it is honoured and protected.

Throughout Africa, the marula tree (Sclerocarya birrea) is revered. In Zulu culture, it is referred to as Umganu. The belief is that it is a gift from the ancestors. Venda cultures say it chooses where it grows. In folklore across our continent, it is known as the “Marriage Tree,” under which love and fertility are blessed – a living symbol of unity, continuity, and the sacred bonds that connect us not just to each other, but to the land itself.

Elephants will travel kilometres for the Marula’s fruit, their ancient wisdom recognising what human science is only now beginning to understand. But perhaps nowhere is the marula’s relationship with wildlife more beautifully illustrated than in its sacred bond with the Leopards of Londolozi. For generations, we have watched as the leopards seek the marula tree as their favoured refuge – lounging languidly across its sturdy horizontal branches, perching with regal composure in its embrace, and finding the perfect vantage point from which to survey their domain. The marula’s generous architecture, with its broad, accommodating limbs and dense canopy, creates the ideal leopard sanctuary, making these ancient trees instrumental in providing some of the best leopard viewing experiences in the world. Here, beneath the marula’s protective shade, visitors witness the profound intimacy between predator and tree – a relationship that speaks to the marula’s role not just as provider of fruit and oil, but as architect of the wilderness experience itself.

In the context of Heritage Day, the marula embodies the philosophy of Ubuntu – “I am because of you.” The tree exists not for itself alone, but as part of an interconnected web that includes the soil that feeds it, the wildlife that depends on it, the communities that cherish it, and the future generations who will find shelter in its shade. This is heritage in its purest form: the understanding that we are all part of something larger, more enduring, and more beautiful than our individual lives.

Planting Our Future: The Magic Marula’s of Londolozi

Today, as we celebrate Heritage Day, Londolozi is proud to announce a living celebration of our shared heritage: the Magic Marula’s of Londolozi – a multi-layered initiative that blends ancient wisdom, regenerative agriculture, and economic upliftment.

This is not just about trees. This is about futures.

Working alongside five partner farmers, two of whom are women, breaking new ground in their communities, we are pioneering a system of organic marula farming using airpot technology. This innovation accelerates healthy root growth while mimicking natural soil ecosystems. These fast-growing saplings will be planted across the land in a way that restores degraded soil, increases biodiversity, and protects the Sand River, the lifeblood of this ecosystem.

In the next couple of months, to celebrate Heritage Day, we will be visiting the communities surrounding Londolozi to plant marula trees in partnership with the Ripple Fund farmers – marking a powerful step toward long-term reforestation and economic regeneration.

The Magic Marula’s extends beyond Londolozi’s borders through our partnership with Save the Sand—a visionary initiative dedicated to transforming the entire Sand Sand River Catchment through indigenous agroforestry, cutting-edge technology, and market integration. At the heart of their work lies the same wisdom that guides our Heritage Day plantings: that indigenous trees like the marula are essential partners in creating thriving ecosystems where both communities and landscapes can flourish.

The Ripple Fund represents one small stream in Save the Sand’s powerful vision for our entire river system. 

From Mandela Day to Heritage Day: These marula saplings, lovingly prepared by the Londolozi community earlier this year, represent the donated trees that will take root in our Heritage Day planting initiative

Every part of the marula tree has a purpose- from the fruit that nourishes wildlife and communities, to the kernel that yields precious oil, to the shell that can be transformed into crafts and fuel – and every part of this project reflects a principle: Look after the land. Look after the people. Protect the ancient. Nourish the future.

Ubuntu in Action: Weaving Ancient Wisdom with Modern Innovation

This is a story of Ubuntu.

Because when you work with nature, by honouring the trees, the soil, the people, and the rivers, you begin to weave something far greater than a product. You begin to heal landscapes, restore dignity, and reimagine industry through the lens of wisdom, wonder, and care.

True conservation cannot be separated from community development, just as true heritage cannot be preserved without ensuring it remains alive and relevant for future generations. By combining traditional knowledge with innovative growing techniques, by creating economic opportunities that honour rather than exploit the natural world, and by ensuring that local communities are partners rather than spectators in conservation efforts, we are writing a new chapter in the ancient story of human relationships with the land.

Join The Ripple Effect

As we gather this Heritage Day beneath the wide embrace of marula branches, we invite you to become part of this unfolding story. Through the Londolozi Ripple Fund, you can sponsor the planting and nurturing of marula trees in communities around Londolozi and beyond.

By joining this amazing initiative, you become part of the sacred work of “greening” not just the areas around Londolozi, but also communities across South Africa. You become part of the Ubuntu circle – recognising that your wellbeing is connected to the health of our shared home, that your heritage is woven together with the heritage of people you may never meet, and that the shade you help plant today will shelter generations you will never know.

The marula trees that will soon take root through our Heritage Day initiative will outlive us all. They will shade the conversations of our grandchildren’s grandchildren. They will produce fruit that nourishes communities we will never meet. Their oil will heal skin we will never touch, and their presence will restore landscapes we may never see in their full glory. In this way, our Heritage Day celebration becomes not just a remembrance of the past, but a gift to the future – a living bridge between the wisdom we have inherited and the world we choose to leave behind.

How to Contribute

Donate to the Londolozi Ripple Fund to start your own ripple effect 

If you would like some more detailed, one-on-one information, please reach out to us at ripple@londolozi.co.za

Stay in the Ripple

To stay connected, we have established a Londolozi Ripple Fund Impact site where you can follow regular updates on projects and donations as they unfold and follow work that has already been successfully completed. If you would like to receive the Londolozi Ripple Fund newsletter, please let us know at ripple@londolozi.co.za and follow us @ripple_fund

Every contribution creates waves of positive change. Whether you donate or simply spread the word, you become part of this beautiful ripple effect. From all of us at Londolozi, we wish you a happy Heritage Day!