_Tswalu Kalahari

Exclusive, enormous, and oustandingly unique, Tswalu Kalahari is South Africa's largest private game reserve, covering an area of over 100,000 hectares in the Northern Cape, close to the border with Botswana.

Owned by the Oppenheimer family, Tswalu Kalahari is a remarkable conservation effort which is fulfilling Nicky Oppenheimer’s vision to “restore the Kalahari to itself”.

The name Kalahari is derived from the Tswana word “Kgala,” meaning the great thirst, or “Kgalagadi,” meaning the waterless place.  

The southern Kalahari, due to its location and local climatic conditions, receives somewhat more rain than the central Kalahari, allowing it to support a large diversity of life.   It is for this reason that the southern Kalahari is frequently referred to as the “Green Kalahari.”

In 1995, one of the largest conservation projects was completed through the vision and commitment of the late Stephen Boler, from Manchester in the United Kingdom, whose dream was to return this land, which had been farmed, to its former state.

Hence the name "Tswalu," which means “new beginning” in Setswana. 
The Oppenheimer family, in a pledge to wildlife conservation and ecotourism, purchased Tswalu following Boler's death.   The family is dedicated to continuing the original vision of restoring Tswalu to herself by making it a premier wildlife and Kalahari experience of international significance.

Highlights of Tswalu Kalahari:

Exclusivity

At capacity the 1000 square kilometres of Tswalu holds no more than 30 guests!   The emphasis is clearly on privacy and exclusivity.   Guests visiting Tswalu are able to explore vast regions of their private Kalahari without encountering any other human activity.

Rare, Diverse and Abundant Wildlife

With over 70 species of mammals and 230 species of birds, you will find it strange to consider yourself in a desert.   Tswalu houses one third of South Africa’s remaining desert black rhino population, and also boasts significant populations of rare antelope such as roan, sable and tsessebe.  

You will have the chance to see black-maned Kalahari lions, meerkats, cheetah and, remarkably, sightings of the elusive aardvark, aardwolf, pangolin and porcupine are also quite common.

Amongst the varied species list, zebra, buffalo, giraffe, white rhino, gemsbok, springbok, eland, red hartebeest, brown hyena, wild dogs and honey badgers are all visible.

Variety of Activities and Flexibility

The concept of Tswalu is to create daily schedules completely tailored to guests' desires.   The choices of activities are multiple, with game drives, walking safaris, horse-riding safaris, meerkat encounters, hot-air ballooning, star gazing, archaeological site visits and sleep outs under the stars all being offered.

Child Friendly Holidays


Tswalu Kalahari is especially welcoming for children, and is a brilliant location for a family holiday.   Free stays for children under 12 are available, and being a malaria free reserve helps to make it appealing for families with youngsters.

Specialised activities cater for the children during the day, and complimentary child-minding services are available at night.