The Oppenheimer family is the force behind Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, a semi-arid southern Kalahari reserve of 114 000ha, the largest privately owned wilderness in South Africa. The Korannaberg mountains run from north to south while rolling red sand dunes and small hills shape the landscape. Known as the green Kalahari, there are many more species here than further up to the north.
Remote and rugged, the area is so vast that a number of days is required to fully explore it. When Farmer’s Weekly visited in September, the grasses were golden and the incredibly fine red sands gave way underfoot as if we were walking in an hourglass.
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve may be among the last great wilderness areas where the primary role is to return the land to its natural state and to reintroduce animals that naturally occur there.
You may be lucky, as we were, to see a family of lion feasting on a zebra, its hind legs already chewed off, within the first hour of visiting. Or, as we were on the second day, lucky to encounter a cheetah mother with her three cubs with an oryx kill.
There are three colonies of meerkats that have been habituated by a team dedicated to these charismatic animals so that they are comfortable with guests on foot near their burrows. Experiencing this was a highlight of our stay.
GUIDES ARE ESSENTIAL
Denne historien er fra November 17, 2023-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra November 17, 2023-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
