By Ryler Masterton
Having recently spent some time out on a few of the incredible game reserves that we have here in South Africa, we were fortunate enough to have met some of the people selflessly involved in Rhino conservation through the Chipembere Rhino Foundation, and learnt about their everyday struggle protecting our Rhino and ensuring a safe and sustainable future for them. We’re all aware of the dire situation our Rhino populations face, with over 620 Rhino lost so far to poaching within South Africa this year alone!
As with most non-profit charitable organisations, funding is the common stumbling block, so we put our heads together and realised that we were in a position to help raise this much needed funding and also create awareness about Rhino conservation, the Chipembere Rhino Foundation and the remarkable work that they do.
As a family run Speciality Coffee Roastery, we decided that the best way for us to make a meaningful and sustainable contribution was to create a new coffee blend, with a portion of the proceeds going to Rhino conservation through the Chipembere Rhino Foundation. And so “Chipembere Blend” was born! Roasted for a Cause!
A blend of medium and dark roast All African Arabica Coffees, Chipembere Blend is now available from our roastery and on the shelves of our stockists. For every 250g bag sold, we’ll donate R5 to the Chipembere Rhino Foundation, who will use this funding for anti-poaching efforts, Rhino monitoring and collaring and veterinary procedures to name but a few.
We were privileged to have recently been invited out on a Rhino collaring exercise with Brent Cook of the Chipembere Rhino Foundation, internationally acclaimed wildlife vet and Rhino Champion Dr. William Fowlds and their respective teams. What an incredible experience it was! Being able to see first-hand all the hard work and care that goes into this necessary practice, and witnessing the passion and enthusiasm of all those involved was truly humbling. And to top it all off, we finished the day on a hilltop overlooking the African bushveld with a hot and much needed cup Chipembere Blend!
The Chipembere Rhino Foundation is a registered Non-Profit and Public Benefit Organisation lead by a dedicated team of conservation specialists committed to assisting in the protection and conservation of Africa’s rhino, and who through donations have provided equipment and technology to safeguard the future of this iconic flagship species. More information about them can be found on
their website and
Facebook page, where their contact details are also available, so please contact them directly should you feel that you or your company would like to get involved! You can also visit the
Masterton's FB page for regular updates on how we’re assisting the fight against Rhino poaching.
