Karongwe Private Game Reserve

Karongwe Private Game Reserve

During the late 1990s, a group of Limpopo farmers decided to make a difference. The internal fences between their farms were dropped and the Karongwe Private Game Reserve was established. The result was a combined area consisting of 8500 hectares of African bushveld. The Karongwe Association was founded in 2001 and the members are also the directors of Karongwe Game who owns and protect the animal species. The objectives of the Association were to rehabilitate the land, reintroduce the indigenous species which had been eradicated in the area and to generally bring the area as close as possible back to its former splendour. Today the reserve has over 40 mammal species, including the Big Five Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant and Buffalo. The Reserve maintains a clean buffalo project.

The Karongwe association also works towards ensuring the preservation of fauna, flora and animal species for the future generations. This is done through conservation projects which try constantly to achieve this goal. The projects include community projects which involve the natives, helping them to understand how important the preservation of nature is. There are also research projects that work with overseas volunteers trying to bring the importance of nature conservation into the international markets, and letting the world know how precious the African wildlife and nature is.

The Karongwe Private Game Reserve is situated in the Central Lowveld region of the Limpopo Province. The reserves altitude varies from around 480 metres above sea level on the Makutswe River in the North to 560 metres above sea level at Beacon Rock in the central southern area. The landscape within the reserve is characterized by undulating terrain, interspersed with rocky outcrops. There are various ecosystems in the reserve ranging from open plains, woodlands, to riverine and gullies. The reserve is kept alive by the many rivers in the area which support an impressive population of flora and fauna. Huge fig trees, Jackal berries and other exotic plants grow along these rivers.

The reserve offers spectacular scenery, as well as fantastic game viewing opportunities in open 4x4 safari vehicles accompanied by expert guides and trackers. Other activities in the reserve include game drives, nature walks, bird watching, 4X4 trails and sleep-outs under the stars.

Karongwe is the perfect getaway from the city and only 45 minutes from the country's most popular reserve, the Kruger National Park.