Research Base

Siyafunda Research Base offers you a unique experience in the African bush that gives you the opportunity to observe & be a part of the research & monitoring teams on the Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve. You will be recording the behaviour of the Big 5 animals & other mammals, raptors & nocturnal animals like African Civet, Black Backed Jackal, and Large spotted Genet, Porcupine, Aardvark & lots more. All this will be done under the guidance of qualified rangers who will teach you about wildlife conservation & research techniques & you will assist with important data entry. The data is vital for accurate management of the animals within the game reserve & is also made available to students & researches that we host here at Siyafunda, as well as assisting with a number of National Conservation Projects such as Ground Hornbill Research & data also goes to the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) to name a few.

You will have an experience of a lifetime in this huge 26,000ha Game Reserve amongst Africa's Big 5; Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, Lion & Leopard. You will learn how to track animals & how to read information from their spoor, be taught about Africa's trees with their medicinal uses & local beliefs, we will teach you about birds & how to identify them, about rock formations & the amazing stars which can be seen so clearly out here without any pollution obscuring them.

You will be staying in the middle of the bush with the magnificent Drakensburg Mountains on the western horizon offering you amazing sunsets every evening, just in time for a sundowner, while you listen to the nocturnal animals awakening.

Background

Siyafunda is located within The Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve (GMPGR).

We operate two Camps; the Siyafunda-Research Camp with an emphasis on wildlife & conservation research & the Siyafunda Tracking-Camp which gives you a practical experience & knowledge about the bush, offering you a unique experience, while you spend your holidays with us.

This reserve is situated in the Central Lowveld region of the Limpopo Province of South Africa, just a stone's throw away from the famous Kruger National Park. It has grown in size over the years due to the acquisition of new land & neighbouring farms joining the reserve & dropping their fences. It is now comprised of 8 different land owners which make it the 26 000 hectares it is today & one of the biggest private Game Reserves in this area.