The Bushcamp Company | Award-winning Safari Operator South Luangwa, Zambia
The Bushcamp Company is a highly acclaimed, award-winning safari operator based inside the iconic South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. Founded in 1999, the company manages a unique and seamless safari circuit encompassing 140,000 exclusive acres deep within the park’s game-rich southern sector. Known for its top-tier African guides, low-impact footprint, and deep commitment to local community conservation, it is heavily recognized for carrying forward the historical tradition of the walking safari, which originally began in the Luangwa Valley.
The Bushcamp Company, which has its headquarters at Mfuwe Lodge and is well-known for its annual procession of elephants that routinely passes through the lobby between October and mid-December, excels at giving tourists genuinely exceptional safari experiences.
The group was founded in 1999 when Andrea Bizzaro and Andy Hogg, a Zambian who began in safari at the Save the Rhino Trust’s Chinzombo Lodge, brought together four camps in South Luangwa National Park (Kuyenda, Chamilandu, Chindeni, and Bilimungwe) under the auspices of a single parent company. On the banks of the same-named river, Kapamba, the sixth bushcamp, was constructed in 2005. The sixth camp, Zingulila, was constructed in 2008 to complete the portfolio, just a short distance upstream on the Kampamba River.
The Bushcamp Company
An unrivaled wildlife experience in one of the last unspoiled wilderness regions of Africa
Each of The Bushcamp Company’s properties has spectacular isolation, breathtaking views, and unparalleled chances for immersive safari activities as the sole safari provider in the far-off southern region of South Luangwa. The organization takes the most delight in the personal, intimate safari experiences that the small, upscale camps provide. Visitors have the chance to witness canoe transfers between lodgings, get up close to wildlife, and discover Africa on foot in the region where the walking safari was invented.
The Bushcamp Company’s accommodations are anything but the rough, back-to-the-basics impression that the word “camps” could give tourists. Both the lodge and the camps are real while still being elegant, honoring safari customs. In addition, The Bushcamp Company works hard to involve the neighborhood in the management of the camps in order to guarantee the preservation of the people, wildlife, and environment that make South Luangwa so special.
The Bushcamp Company
Considering a safari in Zambia? View our list of suggested safaris and trips that include a stay in a deluxe safari camp run by The Bushcamps Company. To get help creating the ideal custom solution, just get in touch with one of our Africa Safari Experts.
The Safari Properties
The Bushcamp Company’s luxury portfolio is designed as a dynamic circuit, blending larger “gateway” properties with remote, off-the-grid bushcamps.
Mfuwe Lodge (Gateway): The most famous property in their collection, featuring 18 thatched chalets, a swimming pool, air conditioning, and a spa. It is globally renowned for a unique phenomenon: between late October and mid-December, a family of wild elephants walks right through the lodge lobby to reach a ripe wild mango tree in the courtyard.
The Villas at KuKaya (Gateway): Added in 2023, offering private luxury villas just inside the park gate. Each villa comes with its own dedicated guide and private safari vehicle.
The Six Southern Bushcamps: Deep within the wilderness, these highly intimate camps accommodate just 6 to 12 guests each and are stripped back to focus on authentic nature—utilizing starlit dining, solar or lantern light, and open-air bucket showers.
Zambia Tours
For the 2026 and 2027 safari seasons, The Bushcamp Company has expanded its offerings by launching official, pre-designed Curated Itineraries. These tours seamlessly combine their award-winning camps inside South Luangwa National Park with other bucket-list destinations across Zambia.
The Bushcamp Company Properties
The Bushcamp Company’s campers are each placed in beautiful surroundings and have a capacity of just eight people, so your stay will be peaceful and catered to your individual needs. These bush camps offer the warmest of welcomes, delectable meals, and top-notch guides, making them the ideal starting point for individuals and small groups looking to explore South Luangwa’s amazing wildlife.
Core Experiences
Walking Safaris: As South Luangwa is the birthplace of the walking safari, guests can hike between the southern camps accompanied by armed professional scouts and world-class trackers, tracking big game entirely on foot.
Day & Night Game Drives: In addition to trekking, custom-built 4×4 vehicles head out for daytime tracking and nighttime spotlight safaris to search for the park’s exceptionally dense leopard populations.
Community Philanthropy: A portion of all booking revenue supports their extensive local programs, which provide clean water boreholes to tens of thousands of local residents and feed thousands of school children daily.
The Bushcamp Company Camps Reviews
The Bushcamp Company: The finest wildlife viewing in Africa’s last great wilderness areas. The Bushcamp Company manages the award-winning Mfuwe Lodge, located just inside the park’s main gate in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, and six private Bushcamps in the park’s remote southern region. When you go on your African walking safari from one of these remote and cozy sites, you’ll be immersed in one of the continent’s last remaining pristine ecosystems.
I already miss Bushcamp!
Client: Chelsea C
We visited the Bushcamp for our honeymoon and stayed for 5 nights at 3 different camps. Leaving each camp brought tears to my eyes because the staff made you feel like family. The service provided at each camp was unlike any hotel I have stayed at in the U.S. and my fiancé and I are in the service industry. Each camp made you feel like you were the only guests staying at the Bushcamp with attention to details, so much knowledge provided to us on the safari drives, and incredible food and service. We also spent some time at the spa getting massages, which was so relaxing. At Mfuwe Lodge we spent the most time with John our safari driver who was so knowledgeable, Amy the manager who was so accommodating and kind, and Nedson who took us to the local school and was such a wonderful host. My favorite thing to learn about Bushcamp Company was how much they give back to the community, providing water to the local town, providing jobs to locals, and giving back to schools and creating many projects to improve the living conditions. We felt like we were helping to give back by staying at this camp. We thank you very much for your hospitality and hope to return soon!
Date of stay: May 2023
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Spectacular setting, accommodations, food, service, guides, and sightings of amazing wildlife!
Client: Joanne D
Country: North Carolina
This lodge is spectacular! We could sit on our deck and watch the baboons play, the zebras graze, and the impalas run. We saw an elephant and warthogs in the front yard. The staff is so helpful, and the meals are outstanding. Our land and river safaris were led by excellent, well-informed guides who taught us so much and spotted animals that we would have missed. The Bushcamps have a hugely positive impact in nearby areas and help with schools, provide water wells, help with conservation, etc. Following a morning safari, we had a fancy brunch by the water in the wild. We had snacks and drinks while sitting on chairs by the water where we watched the hippos and saw spectacular sunsets.
We saw elephants, hippos, lions, leopards, impalas, kudos, crocodiles, etc. We took a morning walk to learn about animal tracks and fauna.
This is a must-stay lodge!
Date of stay: May 2023
Trip type: Traveled as a couple