We are Jesse Lemmer and Ari Yuter, two young, passionate entrepreneurs with an extreme love for the Kruger and all things nature. Alongside our Business partner, Cy Jacobs, we are the owners of 18 On The Hill, a luxury 5-star lodge in the Greater Kruger, South Africa. Our journey into hospitality started through our travel company, where we identified tourism as a booming industry with enormous potential. We saw an opportunity to enter the space and create something different.
18 On The Hill was born from a simple idea: to offer a genuine 5-star luxury experience, but at a more accessible price point. We believed there was a gap in the market between traditional luxury lodges and affordable tourism, and we wanted to prove that guests could experience exceptional service, beautiful surroundings and high-end hospitality without the traditional 5-star price tag.
We built 18 On The Hill from an empty piece of land into what we jokingly call our “mini city”, despite having no previous building or construction experience. Today, the lodge offers luxury accommodation, exceptional food, personalised service and the opportunity to experience the incredible wildlife and natural surroundings of the Greater Kruger.
Our love for the Kruger and nature is a huge part of who we are and why we do what we do. We genuinely believe there is something incredibly special about this part of the world, and we want to share that passion with our guests while helping showcase the beauty of South Africa to visitors from around the world.
For us, however, 18 On The Hill is about much more than accommodation. Our people are at the heart of the business. We believe that good people and a strong team are the key to success. We hire for personality and attitude, continuously upskill our team and encourage people to develop beyond their current roles. We are incredibly proud that many members of our team have progressed into positions they may never have imagined possible.
We have also built robust systems and structures that allow the business to operate successfully without being completely dependent on us. Our goal is to create a business that is sustainable, resilient and capable of growing.
We are passionate about hospitality, tourism and, most importantly, people.
We want 18 On The Hill to be known not only for its luxury, but for its warmth, service and ability to say “yes” to our guests. We like to think of ourselves as the “yes lodge” — we try to accommodate the weird, wonderful and sometimes completely unexpected requests that make hospitality so much fun.
Ultimately, we are building more than a lodge. We are building a business that creates jobs, develops people, supports our community and showcases what South African tourism can achieve. Our long-term ambition is to grow, potentially develop more lodges and eventually create skills-development opportunities that allow members of local communities to train, build careers and hopefully become the future leaders of our business.
For us, success is not simply about occupancy or financial results. It is about seeing our team grow, seeing guests leave genuinely happy, sharing our love for this incredible part of the world, and building something that can have a positive impact on the people, community and environment around us.
We believe the nomination stems from people recognising that we built a successful running lodge from scratch, at our young age with no previous experience. Our dream came true.
My personal vision for the future is, firstly, to try and enjoy the moment we are in. We have worked incredibly hard to get to where we are today, and I think it is important not to become so focused on the future that we forget to appreciate what we have achieved and the life we are fortunate enough to live.
For our business, my vision is to maintain the standards we have worked so hard to establish — to continue looking after our guests, creating exceptional experiences and, most importantly, looking after and developing our team. As we grow, I would love the opportunity to expand into more lodges and create a small collection of properties that share the same values, standards and passion for people and the African bush.
For South Africa, we believe the potential is enormous. We have an incredible combination of natural beauty, wildlife, tourism and, most importantly, extraordinary people. In my eyes, the people of South Africa are one of our greatest strengths. There is so much talent, resilience, warmth and entrepreneurial spirit in this country.
We would love to see South Africa continue to grow as a world-class tourism destination, creating more opportunities for our people and communities while protecting the natural beauty that makes our country so special. We believe businesses like ours have a responsibility to contribute to that future by investing in our people, supporting our communities and showing the world just how special South Africa truly is.
https://www.instagram.com/18onthehill
Recreational activities
Game Drives & Conservation, Football, Golf, Private Pilot Licence Holder.