Kwandwe Private Game Reserve

Kwandwe Private Game Reserve Set within 75,000 acres of private wilderness in South Africa, experience authentic safaris deeply rooted in conservation.

Classic safari and peaceful bush surroundings are found at Great Fish River Lodge and Ecca Lodge. Our Ecca Lodge double suites & family suites each allow for a fully tailored, personal stay with a dedicated safari vehicle and guide. Fort House, Uplands Homestead and Melton Manor are complete with private pools, spacious living areas and expansive views across the reserve. Kwandwe Private Game Rese

rve is home to the famous Big 5 as well as a diverse number of smaller and more unusual species. The reserve is also sanctuary to numerous other threatened and endangered species and provides a breeding refuge for the Blue Crane. Working through our social development partner, the Ubunye Foundation, Kwandwe invests in projects that improve the lives and creates sustainable livelihoods opportunities in marginalised rural communities.

05/09/2026

This week, learners from rural schools across the Eastern Cape came together for the Ubunye Challenge Cup, through sport, creativity, debate and conservation.

Soccer and netball. Art, music, poetry and debating.

A chance for learners to try something new, discover their talents, find their voices and take pride in what they can do.

Conservation is woven into the programme too, with sessions from the Kwandwe Rhino Trust encouraging learners to look closely at the environment around them and think about how they can help protect it.

Their ideas come to life in paintings, songs, poems and debates, as well as on the sports field.

And the learning continues beyond the classroom, as young people take these ideas home to their families and communities.

The Ubunye Challenge Cup is one of many ways Ubunye creates opportunities for young people across the Eastern Cape, alongside its work in early childhood development, education, livelihoods, women’s empowerment, sport and the arts.

For International Day of Charity, we’re celebrating the people who make these opportunities possible, and the young people who bring them to life.

This is Ubunye.

Came for the wildlife. Stayed for the food, the views, the sundowners… and probably the fact that nobody was asking you ...
03/09/2026

Came for the wildlife. Stayed for the food, the views, the sundowners… and probably the fact that nobody was asking you to check your emails. 😍

Sounds like a pretty good reason to book your stay: https://www.kwandwe.com/

📸 .conroy

01/09/2026

It’s been two years since we dropped the fences and added 8,000 hectares to Kwandwe, taking the reserve from 22,000 to 30,000 hectares.

Since then, wildlife has had time to explore this newly connected landscape. Some animals moved almost immediately. Others took their time. Territories changed, new areas were explored, and our conservation teams have been watching closely to understand what is unfolding.

Two years on, we’re taking a moment to look back and share an update on what has changed since those fences came down.

The exciting part is that we get to keep watching this story unfold, seeing conservation and positive change happen over time, and discovering what happens when you give wildlife more space.

Pull up a chair, lunch is served. 😍📍 Ecca Lodge
25/08/2026

Pull up a chair, lunch is served. 😍

📍 Ecca Lodge

21/08/2026

The Ayoba males are making their presence known across Kwandwe. They’ve been pushing further south, and it seems they’re slowly starting to take over the reserve.
The Boschgift males have been a little quieter in the south for now… but we’ll have to wait and see how this plays out. 🦁

📸 Doc

REPOST: “Some moments leave you speechless, some change you, and some are simply magical. This one was all three.While ...
20/08/2026

REPOST:

“Some moments leave you speechless, some change you, and some are simply magical. This one was all three.

While filming in Africa this spring, we had the privilege of taking part in a black rhino monitoring and tracking program at . I wish these animals could simply roam free, but in a world that too often reduces wildlife to dollar signs, around-the-clock rangers and advanced tracking technology are essential to keeping them safe.

Being so close to this magnificent animal was especially profound for me. Growing up in a country with very little wildlife, many of my earliest and most meaningful encounters with animals happened at my local zoo. I would spend hours there with the cheetahs, bears, and rhinos. I knew the keepers by name, and as a child, I would often arrive before the park opened to help feed the rhinos. Those moments became such a formative part of my childhood and my connection to animals.

More than 25 years had passed since I had been that close to a rhino. Standing there again, watching it breathe, move, and quietly place its trust in the people caring for it, was incredibly emotional. For a moment, I wasn't in Africa - I was that same kid again, standing beside the rhinos at the zoo, completely fascinated by them. It was one of those rare moments where the past and present seemed to collide, and I was reminded exactly where my love for these animals began.”

Although no two days are ever quite the same, it usually starts with coffee before sunrise. 😍Book your stay: https://www...
18/08/2026

Although no two days are ever quite the same, it usually starts with coffee before sunrise. 😍

Book your stay: https://www.kwandwe.com/

The future of the communities we live in and the conservation of the natural world will be shaped by the young people gr...
13/08/2026

The future of the communities we live in and the conservation of the natural world will be shaped by the young people growing up today, learning about the world around them, discovering opportunities and deciding the role they want to play in it.

Because meaningful impact is often only seen years from now, investing in the knowledge, values and opportunities that shape the youth of today is one of the most important investments we can make.

At Kwandwe, we are proud to support two organisations doing exactly that: Lessons in Conservation and the Ubunye Foundation.

Lessons in Conservation connects young learners with nature through classroom learning, practical experiences and time in the field, helping build an understanding that can grow into skills, further training and careers in conservation. Nearly 4,000 learners across Southern Africa took part in LiC’s programmes during the first half of 2026 alone.

The Ubunye Foundation creates opportunities for young people through education, mentorship and skills development, helping them build the confidence and foundations to shape their own futures. Through the Ubunye Challenge Cup, over 6,000 young people across 20 primary and secondary schools are given opportunities in art, music, debating, sport and conservation. Through Ikamva Lolutsha (Youth Futures), 1,200+ young people across 9 primary and 3 high schools are supported through education, mentorship and skills development.

The young people at the heart of this work are the future of conservation, and we are proud to support the opportunities that will help them shape it.

World Elephant Day felt like a good excuse to share a few recent encounters with some of Kwandwe’s largest residents. 🐘 ...
12/08/2026

World Elephant Day felt like a good excuse to share a few recent encounters with some of Kwandwe’s largest residents. 🐘

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Fort Brown District
Grahamstown
6140

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