Safari Style with Substance: Introducing Ballo Eyewear at The Royal Madikwe
On safari, the light has a language of its own. It shimmers off waterholes in the early morning, bright with the promise of a new day, and softens the plains at dusk as the day’s adventures settle slowly into memory.
On safari, the light has a language of its own. It shimmers off waterholes in the early morning, bright with the promise of a new day, and softens the plains at dusk as the day’s adventures settle slowly into memory. Here, a great pair of sunglasses does more than protect your eyes in the ever-changing light; it becomes part of how you take it all in.
With the launch of our Ballo Eyewear partnership, guests can now purchase a travel staple that feels beautifully aligned with both style and substance.
Designed in Cape Town and handcrafted from sustainably sourced, plant-based and reclaimed materials, Ballo Eyewear brings together sun protection, conscious design and a deep connection to African creativity. Their African pattern collection now finds pride of place in our Safari Boutique, with each pair featuring unique African fabric frames produced in very limited runs ~ meaning no two are ever quite the same.
For Ballo founder Alistair Barnes, the collaboration felt like a natural fit.
“Ballo has always been deeply connected to Africa, to nature and to making things with care. Royal Madikwe seems to share a lot of those same values. We love working with people and places that celebrate Africa in a thoughtful, contemporary way, so it felt like a very natural home for Ballo.”
This shared sense of care speaks to the very heart of the collaboration.
Built with Ballo’s signature cork construction for lightness and strength, each frame gives new life to materials including recycled plastic, cork and fabric offcuts. The result is sunnies that feel stylish and distinctive yet deeply considered. Ballo is also proudly B Corp Certified and a 1% for the Planet contributing member. As part of their commitment to doing business more consciously, they plant one tree for every pair sold as well as donate a pair of reading glasses to a school child in need.
Yet, beyond the craftsmanship and sustainability credentials, what makes the brand especially fitting for safari is the way each pair is designed to be lived in. Alistair hopes guests enjoy their Ballo frames exactly as they were intended: “out in the African sun, getting dusty, spotting animals and having an adventure.”
“We make our frames to be worn and lived in, not treated as precious objects. There’s also something quite special about wearing a pair of sunglasses made in Cape Town while travelling through the South African bush. They become part of the memory of the trip.”
That idea feels especially true at The Royal, where every moment throughout the day offers a different view. From soft morning light over the ridge as elephants gather at the waterhole, to the waves of afternoon heat on the horizon as you unwind beside the pool. Safari nudges you to look closer ~ and a great pair of sunglasses becomes part of how you see and remember it all.
“I’d love for guests to take home something that feels genuinely connected to their experience in South Africa rather than just another souvenir,” Alistair shares. “Something useful and beautiful that has a story behind it, and that hopefully brings back a little bit of the feeling of being here every time they put them on.”
Now available in our Safari Boutique, Ballo Eyewear offers guests a truly fitting reminder of their time with us. Because whether worn on a game drive, beside the pool, or long after your return home, the right pair of sunglasses can do more than accessorise an outfit. As Alistair puts it, “A great pair becomes part of how you remember a trip.” And in the case of Ballo, it may just help you see it a little differently too.
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