Human densities within national parks and private reserves are ever increasing as the viabilities of such conservation areas are threatened by ever increasing costs of management and anti-poaching initiatives. Mashatu management have made a firm decision to maintain human densities on Mashatu as levels below the comparative statistics of reserves on private land in South Africa and elsewhere. By limiting the number of tourists, one naturally limits vehicle traversing in the reserve. Instead, the tourism focus has been expanded to adventure tourism where the impact is substantially less severe. Horses (horse safaris), bicycles (cycling safaris), the human footprint (walking safaris) and ‘stationary tourists’ (photographic hides) limit the imposition of tourists in conservation areas and, in addition, provide a unique selling point for the Mashatu enclave in the greater ecotourism industry in southern Africa.

Mashatu has, over the past 30 years, made it policy to benefit the residents of community villages on the periphery of the Northern Tuli Game Reserve through the opportunities of employment and provision of services. Priority is given to these community residents and, in many instances, present employees of Mashatu are the children and grandchildren of community members who have worked at Mashatu.