Newmark Hotels, Residences, Reserves & Lodges will welcome Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve, a 14 000-hectare reserve in South Africa’s Great Karoo region, to its hospitality portfolio, effective May 1. Newmark will manage the reserve, working side-by-side with Mount Camdeboo.

Pioneered by Newmark MD, Neil Markovitz, who was involved with the establishment of the Victoria & Alfred Hotel in Cape Town, Newmark owns and/or manages various properties across southern and East Africa, offering comprehensive hospitality management services to each property within its growing portfolio. Including Mount Camdeboo, the group now comprises 17 properties, with another seven in the design and construction phase.

“The Newmark business model allows properties to remain true to their identity, to celebrate and showcase their unique characteristics, while being powered by the strength, positive reputation and unified force of the Newmark brand. Mount Camdeboo boasts a number of truly remarkable features that set it apart as a highly sought-after safari destination, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to include this property under the Newmark wing,” said Markovitz.

Iain Buchanan, Family Representative for Mount Camdeboo, commented: “We are excited for this new season that Mount Camdeboo and Newmark are entering. We believe that this new relationship will take us to new heights and help with establishing Mount Camdeboo and this region in offering a truly unique safari experience and so much more.” 

Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve is privately owned, having been purchased by the late Logie Buchanan and his wife, Cathy, in 1996. Their family and their son, Iain have continued to operate the reserve, dedicated to developing the property over the years from agricultural farmland into a pristine game reserve, in line with the vision to conserve the land whilst providing natural habitat for wildlife, including endangered species which are able to roam freely.

In addition, the malaria-free reserve, surrounded by the Sneeuberg Mountain Range will soon be classified as Big Five terrain, with plans in place to introduce lion and elephant in the upcoming months.

Guests of Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve can enjoy scenic helicopter flights, game walks, cheetah tracking and stargazing.

Furthermore, the reserve affords guests easy access to a range of attractions as it is near the historic town of Graaff-Reinet where the Drostdy Hotel – part of Newmark’s luxury hotel portfolio – is located; Nieu Bethesda; and the Valley of Desolation. Therefore travellers, including those looking to venture off the beaten track, can easily combine travel experiences, from safaris to the discovery of historic gems.

The accommodation at Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve includes:

• Camdeboo Manor, which dates from the early 1800s and comprises two en-suite bedrooms with king-size beds, and two en-suite bedrooms with two single beds in each, a dining room with a fireplace, a secluded courtyard and a swimming pool.
• Peppertree Cottage, a spacious cottage privately located in Camdeboo’s Manor gardens, sleeps two, featuring a king-size bed, en-suite bathroom, kitchenette, fireplace and a private garden.
• Hillside Manor, a modernised mountain retreat available for exclusive use and which dates back to the 1900s, comprises three en-suite bedrooms, one with a king-size bed and two with queen-size beds, as well as a swimming pool.
• Courtyard Manor, a double-gabled homestead with a wrapped verandah dating back to the late 1700s, comprises four en-suite bedrooms, three with king-size beds and one with two single beds, as well as a swimming pool.
• Safari tents, comprising two luxury tents raised on a wooden deck, overlooking the seasonal Melk River, featuring a queen-size bed, en suite bathroom and a spacious deck with outdoor furniture.