Nkomazi Game Reserve

About Nkomazi Game Reserve

Set in the incredibly picturesque scenery of the Barberton Mountainland, Nkomazi Game Reserve lies in the malaria-free parts of Mpumalanga closest to Barberton, the Kruger National Park, Pilgrims Rest and such wonders as the Blyde River Canyon and God's Window.

Did you know? Known as ‘the place of water', Nkomazi Game Reserve is a destination of outstanding scenic beauty.

Nkomazi, which means 'place of water' is set in the area also known as the 'holy grail of geology' for its wealth of ancient fossils – some of the oldest in the world. Its position in the Barberton Mountainland lays claims to a plant biodiversity higher than that of the entire Kruger National Park and second only to the Cape's fynbos and succulents. This is where the Barberton daisy was first discovered and the area that is home to the protea.

The Makhonjwas, the mountain range that bounds the north-western Swazi frontier and often referred to globally as the 'genesis of life', is not only visually incredible but also holds some of the best preserved records of earth's earliest life forms.

If this description that has not yet taken into account the presence of the Big Five in Nkomazi is not enough to bring you to this part of the world, then perhaps the presence of three unique butterflies will. The Swanepoel's blue, Jeffery's blue and Barbara's copper are found nowhere else in the world.

Nkomazi Game Reserve has slowly been restored to a haven of wildlife. Two male cheetahs were released into the reserve in September this year, after being rescued from a cattle ranch in Limpopo by the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust. They have very recently been joined by a pride of lions – the first to return to the upper Komati River Valley in almost 200 years.

This reintroduction is part of a systematic reintroduction of elephant, buffalo and lion to the valley. All species are carefully monitored and analysed to maintain the ecological balance of the beautiful conservation destination.