Mzanzitravel Magazine Issue 10

Hiking
Mogale (1810-1869), after whom the Magaliesberg
was named, and his Po people. Here you can see
remains of well-preserved late Iron Age settlements,
both early Ndebele and Tswana/Sotho. Highlights
include the chief’s courtyard and reception area,
the chief’s private place of worship, his cattle kraal,
ceremonial cairns, the remains of the slaughtering
kraal, the place of ancestral worship, and much
more.
In the border area between Gauteng and the
Magaliesberg mountains, near the Hartbeespoort
Dam, is the Lesedi Cultural Village, and
international favourite where you can experience
an interpretative African experience of the cultures
and traditions of South Africa’s indigenous people.
Buya Zulu is an authentic Zulu kraal headed
by Jo Mbogwazi, who with his group, originate
from Hluhluwe in northern Zululand. Here visitors
experience traditional huts, utensils, people wearing
traditional clothes, and the arts of shield and spear
making, beadwork and traditional pottery.
Located near the Hartbeespoort Dam and the
town of Brits, is the Mapoch Ndebele Village
with its colourfully painted abodes housing the
Ndebele villagers. Close to Hebron, the Gaabo
Motho Cultural Village is a scenic mountain-top
village that offers the best African traditional fare.
The village relays ancient survival and birthing
practices and visitors can meet an authentic
traditional healer. Furthermore, a visit to the
Kortkloof Cultural Village in the ‘Mampoer Country’,
Groot Marico, is dedicated to the Tswana tribe.
Mampoer is a traditionally distilled, once-illegal
brandy or ‘moonshine’, made from fermented
fruit and contains anywhere between 50 and 80
percent of alcohol. Mampoer tours can be enjoyed
in the Groot Marico region. And at Schoemansdrift,
outside Potchefstroom, mampoer tasting sessions
can be enjoyed in a house with an Anglo Boer War
history.
Parks and Game
Reserves
Apart from having among the most cultural villages
and heritage sites of any province in the country,
the province is also home to a stunning array of
national parks and game reserves. There are a total
of 14 national parks and provincial reserves within
its borders. In total the province has more than 36
national parks, games reserves and conservancies.
The most well-known are the Pilanesberg and
Madikwe National Parks, which are administered
by the North West Parks and Tourism Board. The
Province also shares the Magaliesberg Protected
Natural Environment with Gauteng.
Formally protected areas in the province comprise
all of 283,308 hectares or approximately 2.4% of the
surface area of the province. This includes national
parks, provincial nature reserves, private nature
reserves and protected natural environments.
There are 10 registered conservancies and
several game farms or ranches in the
province, with a total area of about
160,000 hectares of land committed to
game farming. Species conserved on these farms
are predominantly antelope such as kudu, duiker
and steenbok. Other animals such as sable, Cape
buffalo, gemsbok, eland, red hartebeest, blue
wildebeest and even black rhinoceros also occur
in North West.
The Province has over 40 wetlands and one
RAMSAR site at Barberspan, which is recognised
as a wetland of international importance.
Among the many superb parks, reserves and
conservancies – all well worth a visit – are the 4,600
hectare Mahikeng Game Reserve which hosts a
wide variety of game and is on the principal breeding
parks for White Rhino. The Manyane Game Lodge
features a lion enclosure and crocodile camp, while
the nearby Botsalano Game Reserve is a popular
weekend attraction for game viewing.
Other parks, conservancies and reserves include
Elephant Sanctuary at Hartbeesport Dam; the Bush
Babies Monkey Sanctuary at Hartbeespoort Dam;
the Ukutula Lion Park near Brits; the Pilanesberg
National Park at Sun City; the Kwena Crocodile
Farm at Sun City; the Hartbeespoort Dam Snake
and Animal Park; the Rustenburg Nature Reserve;
the Silkaatsnek Nature Reserve at Hartbeespoort
Dam; Predator World at Sun City; the Akwaaba
Predator Park at Rustenburg; the Kgaswane Nature
Reserve at Rustenburg; the Lion & Safari Park at
Broederstroom; the Phaladingwe Hiking Trail at
Broederstroom; the Sandveld Nature Reserve at
Bloemhof; Predator’s Pride at Hartbeespoort; the
Hartbeespoort Aquarium; the Wolwespruit Nature
Reserve at Leeudoringstad; the Molopo Nature
Reserve at Vryburg; the Borakalalo National Park;
the Barberspan Bird Sanctuary at Delareyville; the
Eagle Waters Wildlife Resort at Broederstroom; the
Vaalkop Dam Nature Reserve; and the Botsalano
Game Reserve at Mafikeng.
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