The 30th anniversary celebration of Mabula Game Reserve in Limpopo has shone a light on remarkable landscape restoration, job creation and economic upliftment due to intensive conservation efforts and continuous development of a diverse tourism product mix.
Revolving around the iconic Mabula Game Lodge – established in 1984 – the 12 000 hectare reserve in the Waterberg has been fully restored from empty farmland to a thriving Big Five bushveld habitat. Supported by tourism revenue, milestone projects have included the reintroduction of endangered species such as cheetah, black rhino and African wild dog.
“Reintroducing and re-establishing the areas these species used to occupy is such a wonderful success story – not only in the collaborative relationship we had with all the people involved on the ground but also for our visitors,” said Mabula’s Reserve Manager Ivan Kilian.
A diverse tourism mix
Continual upgrades of Mabula Game Lodge, alongside the introduction of a variety of other accommodation options, have played a significant role in the reserve’s success.
Towards the end of last year, the 51-room, four-star Mabula Game Lodge completed the final phase of a R35 million (€1.85 million) lodge-wide renovation.
“Mabula Game Lodge is a complete transformation from the initial 80s safari-style buildings to a highly sophisticated, well-run property that offers guests very comfortable accommodation and world-class facilities,” said Cindy Sheedy Walker, Marketing, Sales and Business Development Consultant at Mabula’s property management company Extraordinary Resorts Management.
The reserve broadened its high-end market appeal with the addition of the five-star Safari Plains Camp in December 2018 and the exclusive-use Kingfisher Villa Suites in January 2023. The product mix is complemented by an intimate experiential offering, the Kwafubesi Tented Safari Camp.
“Mabula has expanded to offer something special for a diverse range of travellers from the safari resort with a large number of beds to the luxury tented camp for small groups and families and the villa offering for multi-generational families looking for a unique and exclusive experience,” said Sheedy Walker.
Activities on the reserve include game drives and bush walks along with horse riding, quad biking and hot air ballooning – emphasising immersive conservation experiences.
At the 30th anniversary celebration, visiting media joined the reserve’s veterinary team on an elephant-darting mission.
Earlier this month, Australian travel agents participated in a similar rhino conservation experience. The agents were hosted at Safari Plains Camp as part of South African Tourism’s Mega Lekker Escape familiarisation initiative.
Creating employment
The significant investment in Mabula has led to the creation of dozens of hospitality and conservation jobs for the local community.
“I’m very pleased to say that most of the staff who work at Mabula Game Lodge have been with us in excess of 10 years and some of them are even celebrating 30 years with us,” said Wouter Pienaar, General Manager: Operations for Extraordinary Resorts Management.
Mabula Field Guide Tshepo Loni expressed his gratitude at the opportunity to build a better life for himself.
“This opportunity has changed not only my life but my family and son’s life as well. I want to be the person that they look up to – seeing that it is possible to make it out of certain situations.”
Speaking about the reserve’s achievements and future plans, Extraordinary Resorts Management Group CEO Jaishankar Ramchandran said: “It's an absolute privilege to be in this business and to contribute to conservation. I am ever grateful to the staff and our guests without whom this business would not exist. Our vision for the next 30 years is to continue doing what we have done and better – and save all these endangered species for the next generation.”
