vision to inspire a
wilderness-led planet
Timbavati is devoted to wilderness. For more than 75 years, we’ve worked day and night to protect, nurture and expand this teeming landscape of wild animals in north-eastern South Africa.
We know that our continued success as one of South Africa’s finest private nature reserve depends entirely on a thriving wilderness. We know that wild nature is our foundation - and our future. We are the guardians and stewards of Timbavati, but we do not stand above the wild animals. Instead, we stand alongside them. We are all connected through mutualism — humans, animals, and the land — each relying on the other to thrive.
We respect and revere every wild being, from the mighty elephant to the fragile ant, from the ancient baobab tree to the tiny flower that blooms only for a day. We are profoundly aware that all living beings – including humans - have a valuable role to play, not only in this wondrous landscape, but in our hearts, minds and spirits too.
We also know from seven decades of hard-earned experience that Timbavati’s success is founded on several essential factors: dedicated rangers, expert management, rigorous science, ethical guides, faithful clients, responsible tourism, and trusted stakeholder relationships with thriving neighbouring communities.
Timbavati is a proven pioneer in wild land stewardship.
Since 1956, the reserve has maintained a “wilderness first” philosophy. We respect and honour the intelligence of nature and all conservation activities are focused on nurturing the natural processes and interactions between the land and animals.
Our wide-ranging work as conservationists is based on comprehensive scientific research by ecologists, and implemented by a team of qualified, experienced conservationists. Our dedicated team of highly-trained and well-equipped armed rangers patrol the reserve day and night. Some have given their lives to the protection of Timbavati and its animals. We honour their ultimate sacrifice.
When you come to Timbavati on a wildlife safari, you will experience a pristine African bushveld wilderness, with a thriving ecosystem of wild animals.
The Timbavati is revered not only for its large numbers of the big five but also for thousands of other wild species which makes this bushveld paradise one of the wildest and most exciting destinations on Earth.
There are 18 lodges and 4 self-catering camps located sensitively around the reserve. As a guest, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the wonder of wild Africa, on game drives and walks led by accredited guides. Each lodge is a signatory to Timbavati’s stringent code of ethics, which has set the standard for best practice safari and wilderness operations.
The Timbavati Nature Reserve’s landscape is shaped by ancient granite and gneiss formations, their slow erosion creating sandy, nutrient-poor soils that nurture a distinctive savanna ecosystem. Mopane, marula, and leadwood trees dominate the woodlands, interspersed with red oat grasses that shift with the seasons. Along rivers, fertile alluvial soils support lush fig trees and dense vegetation. This interplay of geology and flora gives Timbavati its understated richness; a landscape of quiet resilience and ecological depth.
The Timbavati Foundation was formed in 2010 to actively improve the education, livelihoods and wellbeing of our neighbouring communities.
The Foundation’s operating philosophy is based on the concept of Ubuntu, roughly translated as “humanity”, or “We are who we are, because of each other”. We know from ecological principles that everything is linked together, and we know that Timbavati can flourish in the long term only if our neighbouring communities are successful too.
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