Stunning 16 700 HA Big Five Game Farm , Eastern Cape NEW LISTING
Uploaded: December 3, 2022
This stunning 16 700 HA game farm is situated near Waterford in the Eastern Cape, approximately 200km from international Port Elizabeth Airport, and is also accessible via a 1.3km onsite airstrip, for direct private flights. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate, in arguably one of the most profound conservation and land expansion endeavors in Africa. Immersed in Magic and concealed deep within the expansive bush of the Eastern Cape is a place, unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before, shrouded in beauty, and ensconced in history. The sky above, earth below, rolling hills and vast, shimmering plains stretch out as far as the eye can see. This Private Game Reserve is a vast, malaria-free private reserve located in the Eastern Cape region of the Great Karoo, South Africa. The 16 700 HA reserve is home to the Big Five, as well as a range of indigenous species and big game. This portfolio of authentic, luxury properties offers the opportunity to experience the African wilderness in its purest form.
The Great Karoo is a tremendous expanse of semi-desert area of over 400,000 square kilometers extending over the regions of the Eastern, Northern, and Western Cape. The Karoo offers guests vast plains, lofty mountains, refreshing air, and pleasant Karoo towns saturated with history and intrigue. Here you can explore through the wilderness – by walking, horseback riding, mountain biking, or by 4×4 – and appreciate adventurous game viewing and bird watching with a vast assortment of wildlife. The Karoo offers unique nature reserve experiences, intriguing galleries, bushman paintings, and fossil assortments. The land occupied by this private game reserve and Addo Elephant National Park is separated by a mere 14km as the crow flies,73 parcels of privately-owned land, and an expanse of a minimum of 13 880 HA in total- a wide-open space that was once freely roamed by wild herds of elephants and rhinoceros, and massive migrations of antelope. This opens up the opportunity to join with Addo Elephant National Park, forming a reserve that could cover up to 50 000 hectares in total. As a result, the new expanse could be one of the largest private game reserves in South Africa. The asking price is $ 13 000 000 USD an will be subject to the exchange rate of date of sale. Please note and potential buyers will have to provide proof of funds before any appointment will be arranged.
Improvements
- Lodge 1 rests atop one of the highest mountains on the reserve. Floor-to ceiling glass doors in the reception areas perfectly frame the magnificent surroundings. Comprising seven beautifully appointed suites and two separate apartments, it makes an ideal sole-use villa for extended families or groups of friends. Two of the suites have their own private pools overlooking resplendent views. Blazing fireplaces in each reception room keep guests cozy, while the infinity pool is a sublime place to cool off, and sweeping decks to enjoy the views. While indulging in such isolation, guests still enjoy full connectivity with the outside world using free WiFi at the villa. Sky Villa invests in guest wellness, with a well-equipped gym, and a relaxing boutique spa.
- Lodge 2 was imagined in the typical Cape Dutch style, with eleven spacious rooms that have a feeling of yesteryear, yet offer all the modern amenities of a luxury getaway. The lodge has many spaces to rendezvous and relax – from the large and inviting swimming pool to the intimate bar and the quaint library. Ilanga features the rich history of the area and the Anglo Boer War throughout, making it a historian’s dream. WiFi keeps guests connected with home and work, while an inside and outside gym keeps them connected with their bodies as well as a spa for added relaxation.
- Lodge 3 is a completely off-the-grid and solar-powered, four-bedroomed traditional Karoo homestead that offers a sublime wilderness getaway for family and friends. Elsa’s Farmhouse guests enjoy their own private pool and boma, as well as an outside braai area.
- Lodge 4 is a clean and homely, self-catering units are ideal, affordable holiday homes with a rugged South African Interior. Indulge in hot summer afternoons soaking in the private swimming pool, or enjoy ice-cold beverages around the braai. Share in the magic of the Karoo nights around a boma fire.
- Lodge 5 consists of seven custom-designed chalets immersing guests in an authentic wilderness experience.
- Unique offerings include: Being home to the world’s largest living black rhino, a magnificent beast that we are dedicated to protecting. Lodge 1 is 980m above sea level, one of the highest luxury villas in the Eastern Cape, and enjoys 360 views of rugged mountains and plains. Six known rock art sites. One of South Africa’s most prominent historical figures- a statesman, a soldier, and a prime minister, General Jan Smuts was known to pass through these lands during the Anglo Boer War. Apart from making a lasting impact on the political and civil state of the country, it was Smuts who first conceived the idea of holism, a concept that was probably birthed during his long treks through the Karoo and surrounds, seeing how nature existed as a whole.
- This unique opportunity features established tourism and environmental projects with planned expansion to reach up to 50 000 hectares of privately-owned game reserve, the overall accommodation capacity of 57 guests, 65-camera CCTV system to monitor key areas and access gates of the reserve, 135 water retentions points, nineteen staff employed, six generators protect against blackouts and power surges, one solar-power system for off-the-grid facilities, 180 Kilometers of external fences around the reserve perimeter, six swimming pools, and 1.3 Kilometer landing strip for direct private charters.
- By embracing the concept of ‘Wilderness, Wellness, Wildlife’, the current owners of this private game reserve have aimed to develop a resilient, high-end tourism product to the reciprocal benefit of the area’s rehabilitation and restoration, the repatriation of animals from international zoos, protected area expansion, community upliftment, sustained area integrity and recognition of the value of their own on-site human capital. It is their vision to become one of the largest private game reserves in South Africa by expanding to and connecting with Addo Elephant National Park, and to be recognized as a potential premier high-end responsible tourism destination.
- When first acquired, the land had been previously reduced to semi-arid wasteland by overgrazing goat and sheep farms, and hunting farms. Originally, this area was once made up of two unique biomes, the Thicket Biome and the Nama Karoo Biome, which the owners have been committed to restoring by rewilding and replanting the vegetation that was indigenous to those biomes, as well as the removal of alien species. Enormous progress has been made, and will be continued on an ongoing basis, with the focus on rehabilitating Spekboom thickets, which will eventually give this private game reserve carbon negative status.
- Years of exploring the expanse of the reserve has yielded beautiful and fascinating historical sites- the rocky remnants of kraals, grave sites, dwelling ruins and, perhaps the most significant, many Khoekhoen rock art sites, a testament to humankind’s presence on these lands thousands of years ago.
Wildlife & Vegetation
The following game is included and estimated numbers are shown:
African Buffalo
Black Rhino
Common Duiker
Cheetah
Eland
Elephant
Gemsbok
Giraffe
Kudu
Leopard
Lion
Mountain Reedbuck
Ostrich
Springbok
White Rhino
Zebra
Various free roaming game can be frequently spotted including Aardvark, Baboon, Bat-eared Fox, Black-backed Jackal, Brown hyena, Common Duiker, Lynx, Porcupine, Steenbok and Warthog , etc.
This Private Game Reserve is home to 54 species of large mammals, 273 confirmed species of bird, 58 species of reptiles, and 15 species of amphibians. Of particular excitement are Seven adult lions, with five cubs, five adult elephants with two young, three black rhinos and eight white rhinos, two cheetahs, the Blue Crane, an iconic South African bird, breeds on the reserve- a rare and beautiful find, dotted around the reserve, rare cycads aged well over 100 years stand as monuments of time and ancient history. The region boasts over 400 bird species, 10 of which are exclusively endemic to the area. Blanketing large parts of the reserve, over 3000 hectares of mature Spekboom plants provide food for browsers, and potentially offsets 12.5 million kilograms of carbon dioxide, as soil carbon, per year.
Land Claims
There are no land claims registered against this property nor any rural areas nearby.
Enquire about this farm
Contact Peet Venter
+27 82 441 7118
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