African Reservations

The Madikwe Game Reserve, situated against the Botswana border, 90 km north of Zeerust, just three hours' drive from both Johannesburg and Pretoria, is now one of South Africa's prime safari destinations. Madikwe is a Big Five game reserve covering some 75,000 hectare. It is one of the largest game reserves in South Africa. The rich diversity of vegetation ensures a wide range of game and the topography offers ideal game viewing opportunities.

Madikwe is home to 66 mammal species including the Big Five and approximately 300 resident and migrant bird species. It is one of South Africa's largest game reserves.

Madikwe has the distinction of being one of the few game reserves in the world to be proclaimed purely on the grounds of being the most appropriate and sustainable land use for an area. Madikwe represents an extension to this philosophy in that it is run as a joint venture between the State, the private sector and local communities. The success of this approach has made Madikwe the role model for similar ventures being started up elsewhere in South Africa.

The reserve consists of vast plains of open woodlands and grasslands, dissected by the rugged Rant van Tweedepoort, and bordered in the south by the Dwarsberg Mountains. The area is dotted with huge rocky hills or inselbergs. The entire reserve has been enclosed in a 150km perimeter fence which has been electrified to prevent the escape of elephants and the larger predators.

The reserve is divided into two main areas. The area north of the Molatedi Dam is fenced and stocked with all the historically indigenous wild animals’ ­ including elephant, rhinoceros, lion, leopard and buffalo. As part of future developments for the park, the dam area will be fenced separately and stocked with smaller, non-dangerous animals - thus allowing free movement of tourists and maximum utilisation of the dam.

Even before Madikwe had been officially proclaimed, work had begun to clear the many derelict farm buildings and structures, the hundreds of kilometres of old fencing and the many alien plants. Some of the buildings were spared and now serve as Park offices and workshops, while various outposts have been built to house game scouts and other reserve staff. Approximately 60 000 hectares of the reserve were enclosed in a perimeter fence, measuring 150 kilometres. This was later electrified to prevent the escape of elephants and the larger predators. Where possible, local business and labour have been used to demolish and clear unwanted structures, erect fences, construct roads and build dams and lodges. Several game lodges have already been built. Other lodges will be developed in the near future.

Excellent accommodation is available at various private lodges in the reserve. There are no day visitor facilities; only residents at a lodge may enter the reserve. Day visitors are allowed in the reserve only if they book through a lodge prior to the arrival date.