Subscribe & Follow
Advertise your job vacancies
Trending
New nature reserve established in the Soutpansberg
The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) has announced the formation of the Western Soutpansberg Nature Reserve (WSNR), a brand new reserve that covers 14 properties (eight landowners) and spans over 11,607 hectares of critical biodiversity.
Image source: The Endangered Wildlife Trust
The WSNR encompasses a centre of endemism, a recognised key biodiversity area, a strategic groundwater source area, and an expansive critical biodiversity area 1 and 2 in the Limpopo Conservation Plan.
The declaration of the reserve on 17 January 2025 was published in terms of the National Environment Management Protected Areas Act in Limpopo Provincial Gazette notice 3635 (Notice No. 1013), and extensive plans for expanding the reserve are already underway.
The Soutpansberg mountains are home to 593 species of trees, five different biomes (wetlands, forest, savanna, grassland, thicket) and even fynbos elements. They also house multiple sacred sites, rock art and other archaeological sites, and are important for cultural heritage, with many communities celebrating their vibrant traditions in the region to this day.
Soutpansberg Protected Area
Due to the important biodiversity, unique cultural heritage and largely intact natural landscape, the EWT became a landowner and initiated the Soutpansberg Protected Area in 2018, with a mission to formally declare large parts of the western Soutpansberg as a Nature Reserve, through the government’s Biodiversity Stewardship Programme.
In partnership with landowners, the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET), Ndlovu de Villiers Attorneys, Conservation Outcomes and ZZ2, the declaration of the Western Soutpansberg Nature Reserve completes a process started in 2021.
Landowners’ association and management
The Western Soutpansberg Nature Reserve Association (WSNRA) is a voluntary landowners’ association for landowners who are committed to managing their properties as a Nature Reserve, as part of a collective. The WSNRA has been assigned as the management authority of the reserve.
Each landowner is a member of the WSNRA, and manages their property/ies within the approved WSNR Framework Management Plan, with activities including the management of invasive alien plants, local community engagement projects, environmental education and women’s health workshops in local villages.
The EWT and WSNRA reserve management are undertaking initiatives that include bush encroachment work, fire management, invasive species management and the development of eco-tourism initiatives, including the Old Salt Trail, which offers hiking enthusiasts one of the best ways to explore the newly declared Nature Reserve, and showcases why the Soutpansberg is so special.
Expansion plans
Work is also underway in collaboration with LEDET to expand the reserve by 20,000ha this year, as part of the EWT’s aim to create a protected area of 50,000ha by 2030. This declaration supports South Africa’s commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity’s 30x30 target of protecting 30% of the planet’s terrestrial and 30% ocean ecosystems by 2030.
Many of the Soutpansberg landowners offer tourism products on their properties, allowing for nature-loving visitors to explore the Western Soutpansberg Nature Reserve and surrounds, with a range of offerings from five-star accommodation to overlanding camp sites and hiking trails.
