Waterberg

“Give him a farm in the Waterberg!”

Once the domain of outcasts and tough Boer farmers, the Waterberg is now becoming the natural habitat of the fabulously rich, the wildly talented, the enormously successful and the plain legendary.

by Chris Burgess

With the promise of a farm in the Waterberg, the dour Paul Kruger quickly banished any dissenting voices from the parochial and obscure Boer Republic of the Transvaal that he lorded over as first president.

If there was one man President Paul Kruger would like to have banished to the Waterberg it would no doubt have been Eugene Marais.

Kruger knew that many were never heard from again as they vanished into the sprawling bushveld, the preserve of a motley group of gunrunners, prospectors, adventurers and elephant hunters. And if there was one man President Kruger would have liked to see vanish into the wild bushveld of the Waterberg, it was Eugene Marais. By the age of 21, the fearless newspaper editor had already notched up a charge of treason, accusing the revered oom Paul’s government of gross corruption, among other things.

But fortunately for Marais the Boer war broke out first, and when the budding genius did eventually settle in the Waterberg it was not under any duress. Instead, he was rather pleased with the idea of sharing the company of a troop of Chacma baboons for three years, a welcome relief from the psychological strain of morphine addiction, the truamatic aftermath of the Boer war and the pain of his first wife’s death.

What Marais would discover on his lonely wanderings with the baboon troop, a loaded Mauser rifle tucked under his arm, would not only give the amateur naturalist a glimpse into the psyche of the primates, but would also, by implication, suggest theories about the human condition that would eventually help topple Freud.

Almost a century later, the Waterberg is once again proving it’s worth as a theatre of observation. This time around a slightly more sophisticated primate is involved.
One whose need for splendid isolation is rather the insatiable product of a life spent in the glare of the limelight. As the tough Boer farmers, some descendants of the legendary elephant hunters, disappear, so the fabulously rich, the wildly talented, the enormously successful and the plain legendary are all increasingly regarding the Waterberg as natural habitat.
And as with other decisions made during a successful evolution, habitat choice is prescribed by definite practicalities.

Situated mostly on a vast plateau, the Waterberg is cooler than the rest of the bushveld and is but three hours drive from Johannesburg International Airport. It’s also malaria free and hosts the Big Five – leopard, elephant, rhino, lion and buffalo. All contained within an area of such beauty that Marais described it as being “indelibly etched into the imagination”.

A mountain range, lying like an inverted saucer, carelessly cast aside on the vast thorn-tree- studded northern plain that stretches away endlessly into Botswana, the Waterberg is but one of only two vertical disruptions, the other being the Soutpansberg. Rising dramatically from the plains in the south, the seven krantz-fringed mountains known as the Seven Sisters Of The Plain herald the most southern approach of a mountain range stretches for 150 km in a lazy arc from Thabazimbi in the west, past Nylstroom in the south to Potgietersrus in the east. Home to an astounding variety of plants and animals, not only are cedar and yellowwood trees to be found in the cool gorges and deep valleys of the mountainous west, but also five species of protea, peculiarly more than 1 000 km away from the closest Western Cape’s fynbos.
As the mountains give way to undulating hills, dense bushveld appears, with the claustrophobic vegetation eventually changing to mopani and towering baobab trees further to the west.

“Look, you can go walking at any time of the year in the Waterberg and you will find a flower or a fruit to eat,” says Charles Baber, the man fondly known as ‘the patriarch of the Waterberg’, bearing out the spectacular natural bounty of the place.
One of the last remaining farmers, his Bonsmara cattle stud is now marooned in a sea of game farms, even though he was there first.

One of the first families to settle in the Waterberg, the Babers arrived more or less at the same time as Eugene Marais, just after the Boer war. But despite having the heart of a cattle farmer, Baber has seen the writing on the wall. Quite literally, on the walls and signboards of his local town Vaalwater, where all imaginable adjectives associated with the hunting or the game industry – campfire, Big Five, outspan, leopard – are used to advertise everything from boma poles to alcohol.

Formerly cattle country, Vaalwater today hosts more game sales than anywhere else in the country.
They are almost a weekly affair, and you can pick up anything from a lowly bushpig for R300 to the endangered black rhino for around R500 000.
As well as game watchers, there are legions of top Spanish, German, American and Arab hunters who, used to hunting the best locations in the world, demand nothing less than the biggest set of horns in the Waterberg. Baber explains: “The demand for rare species and the need for breeding stocks drive sales.” In addition to the cattle stud, Baber’s two sons manage world-class game-viewing operations, mostly on horseback.
One of their lodges, Ant’s Nest, was listed among the UK Tatler’s top 101 international destinations, with Pink Floyds Dave Gilmour listed as a recent guest.

”Guys have come up here, billionaires and left millionaires,” Baber sniggerswith the good nature that comes with having seen your fair share

And in 45 years of farming, you are bound to see things. Baber remembers the influx of farmers from newly independent Zambia and Zimbabwe back in the 1960s. Famous for their spectacular agricultural successes in Africa’s hinterland. Baber recalls,” They taught us locals to really think big.” Now the game farms have come, and people are once again thinking big. “Guys have come up here billionaires and left millionaires,” Baber sniggers with the good nature that comes with having seen your fair share of ups and downs. “Sometimes fencing the farms costs more than the ground itself.”
And with game fencing costing about R25 000 a kilometre, you can understand why. It’s the sort of hobby reserved for people with serious money to burn.

These guys aren’t always looking for a return on their investment.” Baber admits.
There are quite a few landowners in the Waterberg who can subsidise an expensive hobby with a hefty alternative income.
Counted among them is the “Waste King,” as the locals refer to Heinz Heuser, a German South African businessman, who first ran Enviroserve, then Wade Refuse, in Johannesburg.
His presence is complemented by the ‘Chicken King’, Andrew Mehtvin of Rainbow Chicken Fame.

With this sort of money washing around, it’s no wonder that a local recounts a story about Auto and General founder, Douw Steyn’s attitude towards spending money on his bosveldplaas, with an unbelieving smile.
When Steyn was told that the watering hole he was planning might not be able to hold water in the dry season. Steyn allegedly remarked, half-jokingly: “Well, when it dries, I’ll just pump the water from Mozambique.”

Just outside Vaalwater, about 10 km on the Melkrivier road, a series of painted tin logos featuring the head of a sable antelope emblazoned on the backdrop of an Italian flag, are fixed to a game fence. Advertising African Safaris, they bear the silent testament to another wave of buyers lured to the bushveld by a cheap Rand and the promise of a bargain.

Back then buying Clifton beach houses in euros, Plettenberg polo ponies in dollars and picturesque wine farms of the Western Cape in pounds was a great investment.
But with a substantially stronger rand. South Africa seems to have retained the eye of the international buyers, with legendary American investor, Warren Buffet recently buying land in the Waterberg.
Maybe because – unlike more traditional African destinations – South Africa offers not only the thrill of a true African Wilderness, but also dazzling First-world amenities like the swanky shopping centres of Sandton, Tygervalley and Cape Town Waterfront.
The option of freehold title also makes South Africa a safer investment option than the 99-year leases available elsewhere in Africa.
But in South Africa, as in most african countries, land always translate into politics.
With foreigners increasingly investing in land, the government suddenly found itself unable to afford to buy in certain areas for its land-reform programme.
So it set up a task team to investigate the feasibility of limiting foreign land ownership, despite howls of protest from opposition parties who darkly muttered about the damning message it would send to foreign investors. When chief land claims commisioner, Tozi Gwanya heard of Buffet’s recent acquisition he warned that Buffet was doing so “at his own risk.”

But it is not only foreigners chasing up land prices. Just ask Clive Walker. Known for his conservation work with the white rhino and the critically endangered black rhino, the celebrated conservationist spent 11 years buying up farms for Cape Town businessman Dale Parkers 36 000 ha Lapalala Reserve. “Back in the 1980s land was going for as little as R100 a hectare.” Walker remembers. “Today you will be lucky to get away with paying R5 000 a hectare, and that’s if you can find any land at all.”
As the farms were bought, so the character of the place started changing. “At first the farmers didn’t want to know anything about selling, but the money eventually being offeredsimply became too much to refuse.” Walker recalls.

Buying farms that had belonged to families for oftenmore than a 100 years came at a price.
One Waterberg Afrikaner didn’t greet Walker, daardie Engelsman (that Englishman), for more than 15 years after having been approached by Walker to buy his farm.

Now retired from Lapalala. Walker runs a small museum out in the bush. One section is dedicated to Eugene Marais, another to his lifelong passion, the black rhino, and a third to vanished cultures of the Waterberg.
Wedged between the Bushmen and the BaPedi exhibits is one dedicated to the vanished Afrikaner Pioneers, a silent testament to the tough Boer farmers of yesteryear who fell victim, or benefited, from the rich and powerful’s need to own vast open spaces {depending on which way you look at it). Searching for the words to describe the changes she has seen over the years. Shelley Zeederberg says, “When I married and came to settle in Vaalwater 30 years ago, I had to learn to speak afrikaans within a week. Now I wish I had learnt to speak Italian or German.”

Her husband, Arthur Zeederberg, is a direct descendant of a famous pioneering family. Arthur’s great-grandfather moved into the Waterberg around a time of Baber’s ancestors but instead of farming, the Zeederbergs went into transport riding, eventually not only dominating the stagecoach routes into Botswana and Rhodesia, but also becoming the first to pioneer the use of Zebra as draught animals. The Zeederbergs true to their trading routes, run the local Spar.

“Let me put it to you this way Arthur says, “Edith Venter recently hosted a fundraiser for the local school and netted about R35 000.
Chester Williams, Francois Pienaar and Kobus Wiese were all there” Meanwhile, the Farmer Association Hall has had to be rented out to cover the cost of its maintenance.

Ironically it was an Afrikaner who sparked the buy-up land that would eventually see the Afrikaner farmers of old disappear.
Back in the 1990s, businessman Pienkes dup Plessis was better known to ordinary South Africans as the father of Janie du Plessis, the 1990s teenage television goddess whose career celebrity-starved South africans have followed ever since.
Pienkes started by buying 50 cattle farms and lumping them together to form the exclusive
36 000 ha game park, today known as Welgevonden Game Reserve.

But the financial strain of establishing a truly world class game park saw the corporate muscle of Rand Merchant Bank eventually supporting the venture. Catering for the upper end of the market, the reserve today boasts 50 lodges, with about a third privately owned, a third run as commercial lodges, and the remaining third belonging to companies and business consortia as venues to entertain important guests.

Cyril Ramaphosa, Harry Oppenheimer, and initially Douw Steyn were some of the first private investors.
Dimension Data and Nedcor now own lodges, and accommodation can set you back R8 000 per night.
The massive investment has also yielded a unique conservation model. Divided into 500 ha allotments, only one lodge can be built per allotment and strict building prescriptions govern designs. The lodges may only house 10 guests, they have to be built out of sight of each other, and all need to face the same direction.

In return for owning a lodge in the middle of an African Eden every owner pays the Welgevonden holding company a management levy, which is then used to manage the game and veld.

Douw Steyn an early investor in Welgevonden, chafed against the restrictions and eventually broke away, investing in a vast tract of land next door. Not only did he stock it with the Big Five, he also built former President Nelson Mandela a mansion, (rumoured to be 4 000 suare metres)
on the reserve in an attempt to stop the aging statesman from travelling. Instead, he hoped, guests would rather visit Mandela there.

The approach seems to be working. Whoopi Goldenberg, among others, attended the housewarming, and Bill Clinton’s bodyguards recently popped into Arthur and Shelley’s Spar for Cokes.
Madiba is also rumoured to be working on the second instalment of his memoirs at his Waterberg retreat.

With such visitors, it’s no wonder that Christo Steyn, a local estate agent, when asked about the possibility of visiting Douw Steyn’s farm, remarked matter-of-factly, “You won’t even get past the front gate. It’s simply off limits.”

It’s a sentiment that Eugene Marais, the great naturalist, would ironically have appreciated. When Marais started living with his troop of baboons the interaction between man and ape had been softened by the absence of hunters in the Waterberg for many years.

Those farmers whose land had not been burnt to the ground by Lord Kitchener, were either disarmed or imprisoned in the aftermath of the Boer War, but as the years passed, the hunters returned, and Marais never got close to his troop again.

Today, with powerful interests intent on retaining the Waterberg as a pristine Wilderness, Marais would no doubt have once again considered returning to look for his beloved baboons.

Chobe National Park

The visitor to Botswana is drawn by the credible intelligence that abounds about the quality of its pristine wildlife sanctuaries. Chobe National Park , one of the finest game parks in Africa is located to the north east of the country. The park has the greatest variety of game anywhere in the country. That is why the busy Bill Clinton found himself at Chobe for his short safari. Wildlife thrives among the swamps and grasslands that stretch along the flood plains of the Chobe River. Occupying 10,560 square kilometers, it is particularly renowned for the great concentration and sheer abundance of its elephants, estimated to number 80,000.

The Chobe elephants are migratory and move along the Chobe River, their reliable redoubt in the dry season. African elephants are the largest among elephant species -and those at Chobe are the largest of them all. The population has gradually built up since the 1930′s when wildlife in the area began to enjoy some sort of protection. The infamous trade in ivory, particularly in the 1970′s and 80′s encouraged the decimation of elephant populations in other parts of Africa. But the elephants of Chobe – thank God -were spared contact with the dirty hands of poachers. Other animals to see here include some of the usual suspects on an African safari – lion, cheetah, hippo buffalo, giraffe, antelope, jackal, warthog, hyena, crocodile, zebra. The birdlife is also diverse. Cruising or driving along the Chobe River, you get the best view of the animals.

The Savuti Marshes of Chobe are reputed to have the largest predator population density in southern Africa. The marshes have the textbook features that draw predators. In a flat and hostile environment, they provide a place where wildebeest, buffalo, zebra and many species of antelope congregate for a drink. The predators – cheetahs, leopards, lions, wild dogs, hyenas, and jackals – naturally follow. Some predators such as lion tend to be rather lazy and the setting here is a gift. The usual entry point for Chobe is Kasane, which is located about 800km north of Gaborone. You get here by flying from Gaborone, Maun or Victoria Falls in neighbouring Zimbabwe. Camps and lodges can be found throughout the park.

The Okavango Delta

The Okavango Delta , in the north west of Botswana is the largest inland delta in the world. Spreading over 15,000 square kilometers, it is formed as the flow of the Okavango River slows down and soaks into the sands. That is why it is referred to as ‘the river which never finds the sea’. The network of channels, ox bow lakes, lagoons, swamps and islands that arise is very pleasing to the eye. But that is not all of Okavangos’ bounty. The delta is filled with wildlife – wildebeest, giraffe, hippo, elephant, zebra and buffalo have all found a home here. The birds too are plenty, more than 550 types, some of which live on the trees and others on the water.

The best place to see wildlife in Okavango is within the spectacular Moremi Wildlife Reserve. The reserve lies in the centre of the delta and occupies 3,000 square kilometres. In Moremi you view game aboard a vehicle or by gliding on a makoro (dugout canoe) or other type of canoe. Accommodation is available in camps and lodges within the delta area. In Moremi itself, you can stay in tented campsites but no permanent camps or lodges are allowed.

If you are interested culture, take a break at Chief’s Island, the largest in the delta, and see ancient rock paintings. The painting were presumably executed by the artistically inclined fore bearers of the San people. The Okavango Delta should be avoided in summer, especially December to March, when most of the camps are closed down. At that time, it is very hot and humid- temperatures rise above 38°C, and thunderstorms unleash daily. You enter Okavango through Maun – the deltas’ principal town, by flying or taking a bus from Gaborone, 600 km away.

Visitors to either Chobe or Okavango may wish to add on a visit to Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls is actually in Zimbabwe but is easily accessible from the northern part of Botswana. Victoria Falls is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world and one of Africa’s prime attractions. Situated on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, the falls occur where the steadily flowing Zambezi River, unwarned, casually approaches and then suddenly plunges down a series of basalt gorges in a breathtaking display of several waterfalls. Mist and thunder emanating from the falls can be witnessed from far off.

The spray from the falls sustains the rain forest on the opposite wall of basalt and creates an almost constant rainbow visible even by the light of the moon. The falls are best seen from the air, thus activities such as helicopter flights, balloon rides and micro-lighting over the falls are a must do. Other exciting activities available are bungee jumping off the bridge – which also gives a spectacular view down the gorge, canoeing, white water rafting, river safaris, elephant back safaris and many more.

Adventure seekers, who travel not merely to convenient places, may wish to check out the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. The shallow saltpans cover about 6,500 square kilometres and rank among the largest in the world. The atmosphere here is admittedly surreal, with shimmering mirages in a vast open terrain broken only by a few baobab trees. Bird watchers in particular will be intrigued at the unusual environment as they watch numerous flamingos and pelicans. The pans occupy the area between Francistown (410 km north east of Gaborone) and the Okavango Delta. There is plenty of wildlife, in the Makgadikgadi National Park, but not as much as Chobe- so this will not be your only reason for coming here.

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Botswana is the site of a unique wildlife conservation initiative in Southern Africa- the concept of cross border parks. The initiative is anchored on the common sense observation that wildlife does not recognise international borders. Successful conservation efforts in an area bordering another country can be reduced to naught if the neighbouring countries do not collaborate. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a combination of two parks -the former Gemsbok National Park in Botswana and Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa.

Covering over 36,000 sq km, Kgalagadi is one of the biggest wildlife conservation areas anywhere in the world. Botswana contributes about 75% of the park in the southern Kalahari Desert. The park is a unique conservation area for it allows the large-scale wildlife migratory movements that were once common in the savanna grasslands of Africa, but are sadly not possible any more. The appeal of the harsh beauty of the Kalahari aside, scientists are extremely curious to find out the secret story of the flora and fauna that has adapted to what appears to be a very difficult environment.

For ordinary folks, the park is host to the famous black-maned Kalahari lions. You will also see gemsbok, springbok, eland, blue wildebeest, cheetahs, wild dogs, jackals, bat-eared foxes and leopards. Birding is also excellent and of 297 species recorded, 96 are resident. It is difficult to get to Kgalagadi. From Gaborone, you drive for 860 km, of which 550 km is tarred and the rest gravel. Being a cross border park, you can also access it through South Africa. The park has no permanent tented campsites and on safari you must bring in everything you need.

The dry season, especially between April and October, is the best time to visit Botswana on safari. It is then easy to spot wildlife gathered near water sources. The rains come over the southern summer months of November to March. The roads are then difficult to use and with the abundance of water and pasture, the animals tend to scatter. Early morning and night temperatures in winter (May to August) can drop below freezing, especially in the southwest. But the days are then cool to warm. The summer experiences high daytime temperatures of up to 38°C. The cloud cover, though, and the rains tend to cool things a little bit. Beware that August is very dry and dust and sand storms tends to rise from the west.

Remember to pack a pair of binoculars- they bring the animals closer without the usual risks. A pair of decent sunglasses is a good idea, especially if you travel to the Kalahari, where the glare can be somewhat unsettling. Also pack photographic and video equipment to record your safari for the sake of those of your unlucky friends who may not have been to Botswana. On safari, you are advised not to wear white or bright clothing to avoid exciting the animals. Light cottons and linens are adequate for summer. To survive winter mornings and evenings, you need warmer wraps and sweaters. Women should avoid wearing scanty beachwear in rural areas away from hotels and campsites to avoid offending locals.

The above article was compiled by Andrew Muigai who is editor of AfricaPoint Insider online newsletter.

Augrabies Falls National Park

is a national park located around the Augrabies Falls, about 120 km west of  Upington in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. It was established in 1966.

The Augrabies Falls National Park covers an area of 820 km² and stretches along the Orange River. The area is very arid. The waterfall is about 60 metres high and is awe-inspiring when the river is in flood. The gorge below the falls averages about 240 m deep and runs for 18 kilometres. The gorge provides an impressive example of erosion into a granitic basement.

The original Hottentot people named the waterfall Ankoerebis, meaning the “place of big noises”. The Trekboers who later settled in the area derived the name Augrabies. The name is sometimes spelt Aughrabies.

There are many deposits of alluvial diamonds along the Orange River and legend has it that the biggest cache of diamonds in the world lies in the swirl-hole eroded into the granite at the foot of the waterfall by the thundering waters.

Quiver Tree The most characteristic plant in the park is the giant aloe known locally as the quiver tree or kokerboom. It is perfectly adapted to the dry semi-desert rocky areas found in the Nama-Karoo, able to withstand the extreme temperatures and the infertile soil.

This tree, which grows up to five metres high, gets its name from the fact that the Bushmen (San) used the soft branches to make quivers for their arrows. The eye-catching silhouette of the quiver tree is typical of this part of Northern Cape landscape. When the tree flowers in the winter flocks of birds are attracted to their copious nectar, and baboons can be seen tearing the flowers apart to get the sweet liquor.

Augrabies in flood

The falls have recorded 7,800 cubic metres (280,000 cu ft) of water every second in floods in 1988 (and 6,800 cubic metres (240,000 cu ft) in the floods of 2006). This is over three times the average high season flow rate of Niagara Falls of 2,400 cubic metres (85,000 cu ft) per second, more than four times Niagara’s annual average, and greater than Niagara’s all time record of 6,800 cubic metres (240,000 cu ft) per second.