Ezemvelo Nature Reserve, Gauteng

The Ezemvelo Nature Reserve in Northern Gauteng offers all the traditional game viewing options, including horse-back safaris, but also something a little different…how about game viewing or birding-watching from a horse-drawn carriage? Now that’s not common…

An hour from Johannesburg and 45 minutes from Pretoria, this still relatively ‘unknown’ Highveld paradise has more than 2400 head of game from 33 species (including rhino) and 300 species of bird that can be seen in both savannah and wetland environments. The Wilge River runs through the reserve and a sandstone gorge complete with waterfall is just one of the reserve’s beautiful features.

Ezemvelo is on the ‘Diamond Route’ – a collaboration between the De Beers diamond mining company and the Oppenheimer family to preserve privately owned land and former mining areas for nature conservation, and in the process making some beautiful but formerly inaccessible nature available to the public.

Besides game viewing in a vehicle (day and night game drives), on foot, bicycle, horse-back or in a carriage, Ezemvelo offers 2 day horse trails, horseback team-building trails and family-oriented ‘fun in the Highveld sun’ activities such as putt-putt and volleyball. There is also a swimming pool to cool off in and a ‘foefie slide’ for the young and young at heart. Fishing is offered on a dam, and walking tours are take you to see some of the reserve’s geological and archeological features.

Self-catering accommodation is available on the reserve for overnight visitors, and the close proximity of the reserve to JHB and Pretoria make it a perfect weekend getaway for families, outdoors enthusiasts, birders and recreational anglers.

The aim of the reserve is also somewhat more focused on human interaction with nature than with simple preservation – as their welcome says: “Our hope is that you “Return to Nature” again and again, for full physical and mental healing, to restore your inner peace, to feel excitement again, to reconnect with that which matters, to rejuvenate and become young again, to learn meaningful things, to stop everything and marvel again at the magnificent diversity of life and the universe through the window of the bright night skies, and to prepare for the next part of your journey. Peace be with you. Love from the Ezemvelo Team.” (Ezemvelo website)

To more info and to book

Getting there: From JHB take the N12 out of the city through the southern suburb of Benoni. Travel for 90km on the N12, taking exit 507 toward Balmoral on the R545. Once on the R545 travel for 13.5 km, then take a left, then another left after about 16 km, then left again after a further 4km. Follow the signs – the entrance to Ezemvelo is a further 7 km.
From Pretoria take the N4 to Bronkhorspruit. After 52km take exit 50 left onto the R25, then right onto the R907 after 4km. Follow the signs for Ezemvelo, which is a further 30km approx. with several right and left turns.

More on the quaint town of Bronkhorstspruit