A fun eco-park is not something you often see in a village, township or small dorpie (VTSD) but thanks to the passion of Dzulani Trevor Sidogi, there is now one in Tshipako village just outside Thohoyandou in Limpopo.

Dzulani has turned his backyard into ‘Dzuli Eco-Park’ by utilising the beauty of flowers, trees, stones, creative art and statues of animals. The sculptures, which include life-sized versions of an elephant and giraffe, were made from wire, wood and cement.

Dzuli Eco-Park can accommodate about 120 people at a time, and visitors poured in over the festive season.

Operating a fun park does not come without its challenges, as a lack of water supply is something Dzulani has to struggle with on a daily basis.

“The biggest challenge for me is a lack of water as I get it from a stream far from home,” he told Tourism Update.

He charges an entry fee of R25 (€1.4) for adults and R15 (€0.8) for children, and has also asked people to donate R2 (€0.1) to help him raise money for a borehole to solve his water crisis.

“I wish to build a swimming pool but there is no water. My wish is for business people to donate to my park so that I'll be able to pay for the borehole drilling service,” said Dzulani.

His aspirations do not stop there, as he has other big plans for the future.

“I'm planning to make the park bigger in order to accommodate more people. The park will have rooms for accommodation and swimming pools, including a museum.”

He sells ice cream and cool drinks and offers activities like an outdoor steel swing.

“The park means a lot to me as I love nature. It generates an income for myself because people often come here to take pictures for a photoshoot.”

If you know of, or would like to highlight your own innovative VTSD experience, please email christiaans@nowmedia.co.za.