Madikwe Game Reserve

The Ultimate Madikwe Travel Guide For "Big 7" And Malaria-Free Safaris In South Africa

Madikwe Game Reserve is a 75,000-hectare (750km²) malaria-free "Big 7" (Big 5 + cheetah and wild dog) reserve in South Africa's North West Province, running along the Botswana border between the Marico River and the Dwarsberg Mountains. It is, in our humble opinion, one of the finest safari experiences in Southern Africa, and one of the very few places on the continent where you can put children in a game vehicle in front of lion, elephant and wild dog without a single antimalarial tablet in the suitcase.

As a team, we have visited the reserve on numerous occasions and have yet to depart disappointed. The lodges in our Madikwe portfolio are uniformly excellent and cover most budget ranges, from absolute five-star indulgence to small, intimate tented camps. Wildlife sightings are consistently superb. In our opinion, they match anything you will see in any other national park or private game reserve in South Africa. The Madikwe will always be a firm favourite of ours.

Madikwe Game Reserve At A Glance

• Size: 75,000 hectares (750km²)
• Location: North West Province, South Africa, on the Botswana border
• Malaria: Malaria-free, year-round
• Wildlife: "Big 7" — Big 5 plus cheetah and African wild dog; 66 large mammal species, 23 carnivores, around 350 birds
• Getting there: 341km from O.R. Tambo International Airport, around 4.5 hours by road, or 60 minutes by light aircraft
• Best time to visit: May to September for game viewing; November to March for birding and green landscapes
• Access: Lodge guests only — no day visitors

A Conservation Story Worth Knowing

What makes Madikwe genuinely remarkable is that none of it should be here. This corner of the North West was exhausted cattle farmland, its soils spent and its wildlife long gone, until a government study concluded that ecotourism would deliver far more to local communities than farming ever could. Under the name Operation Phoenix, entire breeding herds of elephant and buffalo, along with black and white rhino and a great many species of antelope, were moved in and released — one of the largest game translocation operations ever undertaken in Africa.

Three decades on, the bush has closed over the old fence lines and the reserve reads as though it has always been wild. It remains a partnership between local communities, lodge owners and the provincial authority, which is precisely why the traversing feels unhurried and the sightings uncrowded. You are not simply visiting a game reserve here; you are visiting one of the continent's genuine conservation successes.

Wildlife And Birdlife In The Madikwe

The reserve supports 66 large mammal species. There are 23 carnivore species in total, and Madikwe offers the rare privilege of both spotted and brown hyena in the same habitat, plus 26 species of snake for those inclined to look down as well as out. Our full Madikwe mammal list sets out what you can realistically expect to tick off.

For birders, the reserve is a genuine treat, with around 350 species recorded. What sets it apart is geography: Madikwe sits in the transition zone on the edge of the Kalahari basin, so you get a mash-up of Highveld, Bushveld and arid-country specials in a single morning's drive. Pale Chanting Goshawk, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Southern Pied Babbler and Kori Bustard are all on the cards. Our Madikwe bird list covers the species worth watching for.

Safari Activities And How The Reserve Works

Morning and afternoon game drives with highly qualified rangers are the heart of a Madikwe safari, and they are where the reserve earns its reputation. Beyond the drives, expect bush walks, dedicated birding outings, photographic safaris in customised vehicles, sundowners in the bush and, at a handful of properties, star beds. One point worth knowing before you plan: day visitors are not permitted, so you must stay at least one night inside the reserve to see it at all. That single rule is why the sightings stay quiet. Our Madikwe safari itineraries set out how the days are structured.

We are not writing this from a press pack. We have stayed at most of the properties in the reserve, camera in hand, and you can see the results for yourself on our Madikwe lodges visited pages and in the Madikwe photo galleries.

So who is Madikwe actually for? It is for families above all — the malaria-free status removes the one question that rules out most "Big 5" destinations for anyone travelling with young children, and the lodges here have thought properly about children rather than merely tolerating them. It is equally for the couple who want a Big 5 safari without the vehicle queues of the better-known parks, and for the photographer who would rather have a leopard to themselves for twenty minutes than share it with six other Land Cruisers.

It also suits anyone short on time. Four and a half hours from O.R. Tambo International Airport by road, or an hour door-to-door by light aircraft, means you can be watching wild dog on the afternoon of the day you land. Add three or four nights here to a Cape Town or Kruger itinerary and you have a complete South African trip. We have been arranging exactly that since 1999, and Madikwe is one of the destinations we recommend most readily.

A Guide To Travelling In South Africa's Famed Madikwe