We spent more than an hour tracking the cheetah’s satellite signal, and when we finally caught up with it, it was slowly wandering through the sun-bleached grass. Her stomach was swollen from eating, and she plopped down in a patch of shade, looking relaxed in our presence. It was an encounter unlikely to happen again, says Musa Mbatha, who guides me through the steppe. Two male lions have recently been reintroduced to the area and will soon compete with local cheetahs for prey.
This finding, which I shared with Mbata and two wildlife monitors, Bongani Khumalo and Tumelo Sathekge, represents a positive change that is taking place in KwaZulu-Natal. Kwazulu-natal is a province in South Africa, often known by its abbreviation KZN. I flew from Cape Town to the Babanango Game Reserve in the lush hills of Zululand to see how local communities, global investors, and wildlife tourism professionals are working together to improve the ecology of this corner of the country.
The Emcakwini Community Trust, which manages KZN’s 47,000 acres and two other community groups that own land, created Babanango in 2017. German philanthropists Hellmuth and Barbara Weisser also provided land and financial support for the project. The collective began reintroducing once-endemic animals in 2018 and restoring landscapes occupied by pastures. Today, black rhinos, giraffes, lions, and cheetahs are thriving. Shortly after my visit in May, the elephants were also brought back.
“This is one of the largest rewilding projects in South Africa in the last 20 years,” said Andy Baxter, Babanango’s chief operating officer.
The reserve has also become a destination for amateur safari enthusiasts looking for their next thrill. “This is not the first experience in Africa,” Baxter admits. “It’s not always easy to see animals, but that’s not our unique selling point.” Instead, guests get to see the early stages of a conservation tour of the area, join tracking groups to monitor reintroduced wildlife, observe how animals adapt to their new homes, and meet researchers, whether in the wild or over coffee.
While Babanango may not yet be as rich in wildlife as Kruger National Park, there is more to this place than just animals. Visitors can see millennium-old rock art created by the SAN people, while Iron Age kilns are often found in the reserve. Guests can also explore more recent history with a day trip to the battlefields of the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War.
The new accommodation will be another attraction in the area, which already has two comfortable mid-range hotels, Babanango Valley Lodge and Babanango Zulu Rock Lodge. The more luxurious Babanango Madwaleni River Lodge has just opened on the banks of the White Umfolozi River. It has 12 tented suites, each with a private pool and a deck overlooking the river.
There are also welcome developments along the Indian Ocean coast, worth a night or two before or after a visit to Babanango. Most notable is the Sala Beach House, a beachfront hotel that opened last year. I woke up one morning to the sound of waves and yoga on the deck and ended the day with a crab, lobster, squid, and swordfish barbecue.
Although I discovered the coast, the night I spent at the Babanango Valley Lodge stayed with me for a long time. The staff arranged for a mobile gin bar overlooking the rolling mountains. The blazing sun was sinking below the horizon, but it was too early in the evening to hear the cries of the two lions. I know they’re out there somewhere. The balance is slowly being restored—I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.
