Nine legae at the foot of the Korannaberg mountains, in South Africa's largest privately owned game reserve, where a rewilding project has turned a former cattle farm into a conservation icon.
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Overview
Where the Restoration Began
Motse — Setswana for village — was Tswalu's first camp, and remains the heart of one of South Africa's most ambitious conservation projects: 114,000 hectares of former cattle farmland returned to wilderness.
Nine legae, the Setswana word for home, sit in gardens landscaped with indigenous southern Kalahari plants, built from pale sandstone, red-sand clay and thatch beneath the Korannaberg mountains. The reserve's green Kalahari landscape defies the popular image of desert — a semi-arid grassland of rolling dunes, savannah and ancient mountains, home to habituated meerkat colonies, black rhino, and some of the best sightings anywhere of aardvark and pangolin. A dedicated guide, tracker and private vehicle come with every booking, and Tswalu holds the lowest guest-to-space ratio of any privately protected reserve in South Africa.
One of three Tswalu camps. The Motse sits alongside Tarkuni, the Oppenheimer family's former private homestead, and Loapi, a light-footprint tented camp — this page covers the Motse alone.
9
Legae, incl. 3 Family Suites
114,000ha
Largest Private Reserve in SA
1998
Oppenheimer Family Took Over
246m²
Family Suite Size
Legae
Stone, Clay & Thatch
Nine legae combine pale sandstone and exposed wooden beams with an open fireplace, private sun deck and Kalahari views from every room.
Legae — Private Sun Deck
01
Standard LegaeEach home is made from stone, red-sand clay and thatch native to the Kalahari, with an en-suite bathroom, open fireplace and private sun deck.
02
Family LegaeThree of the nine legae are designed as double suites with two separate bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom, connecting to a shared living room.
03
A Cool, Calming InteriorPale sandstone and exposed beams create a naturally cool retreat, decorated with elegant, comfortable furnishings suited to relaxing after a long day.
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Expansive Outdoor DeckingEvery legae opens onto generous decking, ideal for a meal under the stars or simply watching the plains beyond.
Experiences
Aardvark, Pangolin & Habituated Meerkats
Tswalu is considered one of the best places on Earth to see aardvark and pangolin, alongside black rhino, desert-adapted species and two colonies of habituated meerkats.
Private
Dedicated Vehicle & Guide
Every stay includes a private safari vehicle, guide and tracker, allowing complete flexibility in exploring the reserve at your own pace.
Rare Sightings
Aardvark & Pangolin Tracking
The reserve's open grasslands make these usually elusive animals far easier to find here than almost anywhere else.
Up Close
Habituated Meerkat Colonies
Two colonies of habituated meerkats allow guests remarkably close observation of their daily routines.
Overnight
The Malori Star Bed
A night spent under canvas in Tswalu's dedicated sleep-out camp, dining and sleeping beneath the Kalahari's diamond skies.
Science
Dedeben Research Centre
Guests can engage directly with visiting scientists studying everything from puff adder ecology to butterfly migration.
Wellness
Spa Treatments
Treatments are offered in the cool sanctuary of a dedicated spa suite or in the privacy of your own room.
Dining
Sundowners on Lantern-Lit Dunes
Dining experiences range from boma dinners to sundowners on the dunes and mountain lookouts beneath umbrella thorn acacias, always drawing on seasonal, sustainable Kalahari produce.
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve spans 114,000 hectares of the Korannaberg mountains and surrounding grasslands in the Northern Cape, South Africa's largest privately owned game reserve.
114,000 hectares (over 1,100 km²) in the Northern Cape, restored from farmland since 1998.
Trophy hunting was banned by the Oppenheimer family, who took over the reserve after founder Stephen Boler's death.
A member of National Geographic's Unique Lodges of the World and part of the Diamond Route.
Malaria-free, making it a genuine option for family safaris with children of any age.
Fly
Scheduled and charter flights connect Johannesburg and Cape Town to Tswalu's private airstrip.
Transfer
A short drive from the airstrip brings guests directly to the Motse.
Combine
Guests can add a stay at Tarkuni or Loapi within the same reserve for a longer Tswalu itinerary.
A New Beginning
Restoring the Kalahari to Itself
Every guest night at Tswalu directly offsets the cost of conservation across one of Africa's most significant private rewilding projects.