Welgevonden Game Reserve

Welgevonden Game Reserve, (Dutch for "well found"), is a 38,200ha game reserve in the Waterberg District, of the Limpopo Province of South Africa.

A pleasant 2.5-hour drive or an easy 45-minute flight from Johannesburg into one of the airstrips, makes Welgevonden one of the most accessible premier malaria free wilderness reserves in the country. It forms part of the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve which was officially declared by UNESCO in 2001 and currently covers an area in excess of 4000 km².

The reserve comprises of mountainous terrain that is dissected by deep valleys and kloofs while flat plateaus characterise most hilltops. Altitude varies from 1080 m in the north to ±1800 m in the southern section of the reserve.

Welgevonden is home to over 50 different mammals, including the Big Five.
The diversity of habitat leads to a wide range of wildlife with grassy plains abounding with antelope from the largest eland to the diminutive duiker; and cheetah, lion and leopard are regularly seen close by. There are also numerous rare and unusual species such as brown hyena, aardwolf, pangolin and aardvark – all best seen at night. Over 300 bird species can be seen on the reserve, including rare blue cranes which breed in the southern section early in the year.

Welgevonden is a vast premier game sanctuary with a very limited number of exclusive commercial or private safari lodges. Each Welgevonden lodge is secluded, hidden from view and resides on their own freehold portion of this vast reserve. Most of these stunning lodges are limited to only 10 guests, and have been built to a strict aesthetic code. However, visitors can traverse and have free access to the entire sanctuary in the company of the lodge’s field ranger.