Madikwe Game Reserve
Madikwe Game Reserve can be found some 90 kilometres north of Zeerust, and is situated against the Botswana border close to the Kalahari Desert.
Madikwe Game Reserve is currently the fifth largest game reserve in the country (and is surprisingly not well known). This makes it a hidden-gem, as it is regarded as one of the best conservation areas in Africa and offers the Big 5, among much more, in a 750 square kilometre area.
The land where Madikwe now stands was previously used for farming. The poor soil meant that farming was mostly unsuccessful and the South African government then decided that it would best be used as a national park to help economically uplift the disadvantaged area.
Thus, in 1991 the area was declared a reserve and 10 000 mammals were relocated from other National Parks. The park is home to approximately 66 large mammals and roughly 300 bird species. The area comprises vast open plains of grasslands, woodlands, rocky outcrops and single mountains.
Madikwe Game Reserve consists of vast open plains of woodlands and grasslands. The reserve is dissected by the rugged Rant van Tweedepoort and is bordered in the south by the Dwarsberg Mountains. The reserve has been enclosed in a 150 km perimeter electric fence to prevent the escape of larger animals.
Before Madikwe Game Reserve was an official reserve, work had already begun to remove many of the derelict farm buildings, non- indigenous plants and the hundreds of kilometres of old fencing. Many of these old buildings have been spared and turned into workshops and park offices. Some of the outposts have also been left and are being used to house reserve staff and game scouts.
Other new developments include Community Lodges which are run by local villages. The profits from these community lodges are then used to uplift the local communities.
The famous Mafikeng road runs through the reserve. This road was known as a historical route long before the reserve was established. Its path was used by traders, hunters, missionaries and explorers. King Mzilikazi of the Matabele tribe, passed through the Madikwe area many years ago on his way to expanding the Matabele Kingdom.
The park offers a number of luxurious lodges as well as community lodges in a malaria- free zone.
Madikwe Game Reserve is currently the fifth largest game reserve in the country (and is surprisingly not well known). This makes it a hidden-gem, as it is regarded as one of the best conservation areas in Africa and offers the Big 5, among much more, in a 750 square kilometre area.
The land where Madikwe now stands was previously used for farming. The poor soil meant that farming was mostly unsuccessful and the South African government then decided that it would best be used as a national park to help economically uplift the disadvantaged area.
Thus, in 1991 the area was declared a reserve and 10 000 mammals were relocated from other National Parks. The park is home to approximately 66 large mammals and roughly 300 bird species. The area comprises vast open plains of grasslands, woodlands, rocky outcrops and single mountains.
Madikwe Game Reserve consists of vast open plains of woodlands and grasslands. The reserve is dissected by the rugged Rant van Tweedepoort and is bordered in the south by the Dwarsberg Mountains. The reserve has been enclosed in a 150 km perimeter electric fence to prevent the escape of larger animals.
Before Madikwe Game Reserve was an official reserve, work had already begun to remove many of the derelict farm buildings, non- indigenous plants and the hundreds of kilometres of old fencing. Many of these old buildings have been spared and turned into workshops and park offices. Some of the outposts have also been left and are being used to house reserve staff and game scouts.
Other new developments include Community Lodges which are run by local villages. The profits from these community lodges are then used to uplift the local communities.
The famous Mafikeng road runs through the reserve. This road was known as a historical route long before the reserve was established. Its path was used by traders, hunters, missionaries and explorers. King Mzilikazi of the Matabele tribe, passed through the Madikwe area many years ago on his way to expanding the Matabele Kingdom.
The park offers a number of luxurious lodges as well as community lodges in a malaria- free zone.
