The 10 Steps It Takes to Turn an Idea Into a Safari Real Estate Asset

Building in remote places forces you to simplify everything.
Over time, we shaped a practical 10-step playbook that took us from an empty piece of land in the Serengeti to a working lodge and later helped us complete our next property as well.

This is simply what worked for us.

Every real estate project looks simple from a distance: land, design, construction, opening.
But the real process is rarely linear. It’s a chain of decisions, setbacks, corrections, and small wins that eventually compound into an operating asset.

Here is the 10-step journey we followed.

1. Start with numbers

We began with data to inform our financial models.
We studied three other safari properties from their first year onward including occupancy numbers and patterns, seasonality curves, daily rates, ramp-up timelines.
That gave us a realistic model for how a new lodge actually performs from month one to year five.

2. Mobilise capital

Once the numbers and the concept made sense, we mobilised the capital required to take the project from idea to full completion. The worst outcome in real estate is a half-built property; we needed to ensure we could reach a functioning, operating asset.

3. Put clean structures in place

Before touching a shovel, we put the foundation in place. This meant obtaining the required permits and operating licences, opening the company and bank accounts, and ensuring the legal and administrative framework was fully set up. In practice, these early steps determine how smoothly the project can move once construction begins.

4. Begin construction, and expect the unexpected

On our first construction trip, the delivery truck tipped over on a rural road. No one was harmed, but roughly USD 15,000 of working capital disappeared. 

We were coordinating suppliers ourselves and running the project management directly. Contingency is a good thing to have.

5. Live at site during the build

As construction progressed we felt that we might not hit the timeline, so I moved to live on-site inside the Serengeti. Being there changed the pace of the project: decisions were quicker, issues were corrected immediately, and small problems didn’t have time to escalate. For complex or remote real estate, proximity becomes a practical strategy.

6. Bring in the core operational team early

Once the first structures were in place, the mess, lounge and kitchen, we brought in the core team of chefs, waiters and housekeepers. We began testing menus, refining service flow and shaping the guest experience while construction was still ongoing in other parts. This gave us a head start in refining things before launch. We worked on a compressed 3 month schedule.

7. Photograph early and start selling

Once the key guest-facing structures were up, we organised a photoshoot and started selling rooms. In Tanzania, people generally need to see a product before they commit. 

8. Complete construction and run full team training for soft launch

When the final structure was complete, we brought in the full team for training, final adjustments and trial operations. This is also the phase when we begin accepting fam trips and refine the product together with our tour operator partners. They are our primary customers, and their feedback at this stage is immensely valuable. The soft launch quickly shows what works, what needs adjustment and what must change before the first paying guests arrive.

9. Cut the ribbon, celebrate, and enter continuous improvement

Launch day is the moment to open champagne and celebrate with the team, but it also marks the start of full operations and continual improvement. From that point on, the focus shifts to consistency, guest experience, cost discipline, operational reliability and stable cash flow. Opening is not the finish line, it’s the beginning of running the asset.

10. Start the next property

Once one lodge stabilises, work typically begins on the next. The process becomes clearer with each project, and the systems improve as you repeat them.

This is the 10-step process we have followed to get our lodges up and running. It has worked for us across the first two builds and continues to guide how we approach new projects.

If you would like to explore investment opportunities or introduce aligned partners, feel free to reach out.