Tswalu Motse
Tswalu Motse Offers A Luxury Experience In The Heart Of The Tswalu Kalahari Reserve
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve is an extremely exclusive safari experience offering a very different ‘Kalahari Desert’ landscape to other South African safari regions. Tswalu Motse is the main lodge on the reserve, and the hub of operations. Intimate and luxurious, the lodge combines excellent food and spacious accommodation with a pretty unique and very private safari experience that can include visiting habituated meerkat colonies, horse-riding, tracking black rhino on foot and undertaking night drives to seek out rarer species such as brown hyena and aardvark. Motse makes a fantastic combination with a luxury lodge in the Kruger region private reserves, especially as there are convenient flight connections between the two areas.
Rooms
Tswalu Motse offers simplistic luxury for up to 18 adults (plus children) in nine air-conditioned thatched suites (known as ‘legae’). Three legae are two bedroom family units containing double and twin en suite rooms with a shared lounge. Each suite has a spacious open plan bedroom, dressing area, sitting area with a wood burning stove for the colder months and a study area. They are equipped with fresh coffee and a selection of teas, personalised mini bar and gourmet snack pantry. En suite facilities include indoor and outdoor showers, flush toilet and a free-standing bath (no bath in the twin room of the family suites), while the private furnished deck offers views over the endless bush.
Central Areas
The central areas of the property include a number of spaces for indoor and outdoor relaxing and dining. At Tswalu, dining is a very flexible affair to suit each guest. From private dining on your veranda to a barbecue in the boma, dining often takes place outdoors to take advantage of the wonderful climate and the endless views. Please note during the colder months, May to August especially, indoor dining may be preferable, especially in the early mornings and evenings when it can get very cold. In addition, guests are invited to experience the Boscia House Pop-up restaurant during their stay – featuring a seven course tasting menu with hyper-seasonal dishes (there are plans for a more permanent additional dining venue in mid 2026). The main lounge has a fireplace, mezzanine level library and a walk-in wine cellar. There is a large deck and two swimming pools. There is also a gym and spa, a photographic studio, and boutique. Indigenous gardens have established around the camp which attract antelope and birds, and there is a waterhole in front of the main area.
Facilities
Wi-Fi – Yes
Power for Charging – Yes
Swimming – Yes
Habitat & Wildlife
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve was born in the early 1990s when a British entrepreneur purchased the vast tracts of arid farmland within the Northern Cape to live out a dream. Following his untimely death, the Oppenheimer family bought Tswalu in 1999 to create the largest privately owned reserve in South Africa, covering an enormous 100,000 hectares of dry Kalahari savannah. The reserve includes three distinct zones – the rocky Korranaberg Mountains in the east, the Kalahari plains and dune-ridge system in the central part of the reserve and the wild calcrete pans and thorn scrub habitat of the western part of the reserve. The reserve is split by a remote gravel road (public) running north to south, with 20,000 hectares of reserve found to the east of the road. To the west of the road, where the lodges are located, there are 80,000 hectares of wilderness. The reintroduction of many of the species of wildlife formerly indigenous to the region has allowed the reserve to develop as a fine wildlife destination. Today over 40 species of animals can be seen, with the key absentee being elephants. The reserve offers spectacular meerkat viewing, with three habituated meerkat families. There are also over 200 species of birds recorded.
Activities
Activities include private game viewing drives in open four wheel drive vehicles (mostly by day, but by night is also available), guided bush walks and horse riding (intermediate to advanced riders only). There are several archaeological sites and some ancient rock engravings, whilst the clear night skies allow for wonderful star-gazing with excellent views of the Milky Way and the solar system. On the Tswalu Reserve itself, several families of meerkats have been habituated to human presence, giving guests the chance to view and photograph these incredible creatures at close quarters. There are also two options for sleep outs: the first, “Naledi”, is included in your stay and comprises a simple sleep out deck under the stars; the second, “Malori” is set on a sand dune facing the rising sun, and has a spacious deck with open air bathroom and sitting/dining area, while the bedroom is under canvas (extra costs apply for Malori). Guests can also be introduced to the conservation and research work of the Tswalu Foundation (see below) and visit the health clinic and preschool established by Tswalu for their staff and neighbouring communities.
Seasons
The Motse is open year round. It is worth knowing that from May through to September night time temperatures can be very cold, almost freezing at times, which naturally has an impact on early morning and late afternoon/ evening activities. The cold conditions can help with game-viewing, as nocturnal creatures often come out earlier.
The Motse accepts children of all ages and the two bedroom legae are perfect for families. With a private guide and vehicle, activities can be flexible and there is no minimum age for game drives. Furthermore, dining can be tailored completely – whether you prefer dining in the main lodge or in the privacy of your legae, and the chefs are very accommodating in terms of menu choice. The Junior Ranger programme includes archery, spoor identification and casting, and learning how to track animals. Tswalu offers a superbly enriching and exclusive safari adventure for families with children of any age.
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve is first and foremost an ambitious conservation project that strives to restore the natural environment, reestablish and protect biodiversity, and maintain the Kalahari ecosystem. For every guest that stays at Tswalu, 30% of each bednight is invested directly into conservation and local project funding.
The Tswalu Foundation was established to support ecological research on the reserve and attracts research teams from across the globe, stationed at the Dedeben Research Centre on the reserve.
Tswalu also provides a number of health and education services to the local community including staff and extended families and those in need in the remote, rural communities surrounding the property. A fully equipped and staffed health care centre provides services to staff and anyone in need within a 100km radius of the reserve; while Tshameka Preschool offers early education for staff children and their extended families.
Tswalu has been awarded Global Ecosphere Retreat status by The Long Run, achieving the organisation’s most advanced sustainability standard, showing tangible dedication to positive impact nature-based tourism, a commitment to sustainability best practices and significant contribution to the well-being of both people and planet.
