Hotel of the Week: Step Inside an Off-Grid Safari, Where a Gorgeous Art Gallery Is Tucked Away in the Bush 

As the triple-tiered Land Cruiser inches forward following the footsteps of two prowling leopards, the bush is silent except for the crackling of branches beneath the tires. The electric game drive vehicle glides silently around a rock, which the duo of leopards—brothers, we soon find out—ascend their perch, keeping watch as the sunset paints strips of pastels across the African sky.  

While keeping a safe distance, the battery-powered open safari vehicle is so close, guests can see the striking jade shade of the leopards’ eyes. The scene is so perfectly composed, a photo taken of the moment would be right at home in the curated collection of Cheetah Plains’s private contemporary art gallery, a collaboration with South African Goodman Gallery.  

Located on a Big Five-heavy stretch of the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, where leopard sightings are practically guaranteed, carbon-negative luxury lodge Cheetah Plains is making a name for itself as a pioneer in both sustainability and contemporary art, thanks to its recently debuted glass-encased gallery. The all-electric fleet of solar-powered 4×4 vehicles are also among the few in the country—part of the safari’s dedication to operating 100-percent off-the-grid, developing its own response to South Africa’s ever-present energy crisis.  

“Cheetah Plains is renowned for offering a premier sustainable safari experience and integrating thought-provoking art into this context enhances the overall experience,” says Goodman Gallery’s senior director, Jo Stella-Sawicka. “This partnership reflects a shared belief in the power of art to create deeper, more meaningful connections with the environment and with each other.” 

Spotlighting emerging and celebrated names from South Africa and other countries across the continent, the Goodman Gallery at Cheetah Plains collection features nearly a hundred collectible pieces scattered throughout the three private villas, which are outfitted with bespoke furniture designed in partnership with local craftspeople by Cape Town-based studios ARRCC and OKHA, who are behind the statement-making, 16-foot-long wooden dining tables sculpted from fallen trees found in the bush.  

In between morning and late afternoon game drives, guests can book private tours of the rotating art collection and gallery space, where pieces date from the 1970s to the present and themes revolve around identity, environment, and social commentary. They can also shop off the walls, acquiring artwork to add to their own collection to be shipped back home—the ultimate safari souvenir.  

Named after a line in South African poet Gabeba Baderoon’s Two Autumns, the gallery’s inaugural exhibition, “Draw a line to the mountains and wind,” brings together recognizable names like South African photographer David Goldblatt, who documented people and landscapes through the rise of Afrikaner nationalism and the apartheid regime through the democratic era, as well as Franco-Canadian artist Kapwani Kiwanga, the visionary talent behind the 2024 Venice Biennale Canada Pavilion’s site-specific installation draped in conterie, Venetian glass seed beads.  

“Many guests recognize the artists and works from international museum exhibitions or art fairs where Goodman Gallery is represented,” explains Stella-Sawicka. “This collaboration [with Cheetah Plains] not only offers greater visibility for artists from Southern Africa and the African diaspora, it also encourages meaningful conversations about art, place, and culture within a global context.” 

Since Goodman Gallery opened its doors in the 1960s, its driving philosophy has been a commitment to supporting artists who engage with social change. Artists hand-picked to be displayed at Cheetah Plains like William Kentridge and Nicholas Hlobo “are powerful voices in this ongoing conversation—their practices offer critical reflections on history and our relationship with the environment,” says Stella-Sawicka. “Art has always been a catalyst for transformation, and through this project space, Goodman Gallery continues to champion artists who provoke thought, inspire dialogue, and contribute to meaningful change.”