Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

Tswalu Kalahari is South Africa’s largest private game reserve, now protecting over 271,800 acres of spectacular grasslands and mountains. The owners take conservation as their absolute priority; their vision is to “restore the Kalahari to itself.” No more than 30 safari guests at a time can discover the beauty of this arid savannah, its diverse wildlife and the serenity of what may well be South Africa’s last great wilderness.

he Tswalu game reserve in the Kalahari Desert was created by Stephen Boler who bought dozens of farms covering more than a thousand square kilometers to create a hunting reserve. His will specified that Nicky Oppenheimer should have the first chance of taking over the land at Tswalu and the Oppenheimer family now owns and operates it. Hunting was stopped by the Oppenheimers and man-made structures, farm buildings and fences were removed. New land was added to extend and protect habitats and territories. The grasses were allowed to grow. Indigenous game such as the critically endangered desert black rhino and black-maned Kalahari lions were introduced and over time and with a magnificent amount of continued conservation work, Tswalu Kalahari is a sought after (and highly exclusive) luxury African safari destination.

Within its boundaries, Tswalu uniquely combines the classic rolling Kalahari dunes with the Korannaberg, the southern Kalahari’s only range of mountains. These massive hills provide a sheltering influence which increases the biodiversity of the area enormously as well as creating a stunning visual backdrop. Over 80 species of mammals can be found on the reserve, together with approximately 240 species of birds and insect life seems boundless.