About Us
The Herd Reserve is a 6,000 hectare wildlife sanctuary, situated in one of southern Africa’s most strategic conservation locations—where the Nzhelele River flows into the mighty Limpopo, between the Mapungubwe and Kruger National Park within the UNESCO Vhembe Biosphere Reserve in Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Declared a Nature Reserve under South Africa’s Protected Areas Act in 2024, the reserve represents a remarkable conservation success story. It encompasses portions of the Philip Herd Private Nature Reserve, first proclaimed over fifty years ago, alongside newly protected Critical Biodiversity Areas around the mouth of the Nzhelele River. This expansion directly supports habitat and species conservation targets outlined in South Africa’s National Protected Areas Expansion Strategy and the Limpopo Conservation Plan.
Our vision
Born from the vision of passionate landowners and stakeholders committed to saving Africa’s dwindling wilderness, The Herd Reserve serves as more than protected wildlife habitat. Under the leadership of our Management Authority, The Herd Reserve NPO, we remain dedicated to expanding conservation impact through partnerships with neighbouring landowners and communities.
Our ultimate mission extends far beyond our boundaries: We are committed to contributing to the VBR Great Vhembe Conservation Area and the creation of a Limpopo Riverine Wildlife Migration Corridor that will connect the Transfrontier Parks—from Great Limpopo in the east to Greater Mapungubwe in the west.
At The Herd Reserve, we’re not just protecting 6,000 hectares of wilderness—we’re building the foundation for landscape-scale conservation that will define southern Africa’s conservation legacy. Learn more about our place in the wild here.
A passion for wildlife conservation
Philip Herd Private Nature Reserve
Location
Situated in the northern Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province, South Africa, Herd Reserve is located on the Limpopo River, which forms South Africa’s border with Zimbabwe, in the Malaladrift area at the confluence with the Nzhelele River, an important tributary of the Limpopo, and is bounded by the 40,000 hectare Maremani Reserve.
The entrance to the reserve is on the D1942 Malaladrift Road, some 30km east of the town of Musina and Beit Bridge border post towards the Pafuri Gate of the Kruger National Park.
Take the first step to findiug us here
Ownership & Management
The new Herd Nature Reserve’s formal establishment under South Africa’s Protected Areas Act, cements an enduring partnership between private landowners – the ZZ2 group of companies and the former Limpopo Valley Conservancy (Terblanchehoek Game Farms Pty Ltd) – and provincial conservation authorities, the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, (LEDET) Protected Areas Directorate.
Under the direction of the designated Management Authority, Herd Reserve NPC, a registered Non-Profit Company and certified Non-Profit Organisation, the reserve is managed by a dedicated team who share a passion for African wildlife and conservation.
You can get in touch with us here.
Our partners in conservation…
The Herd Reserve is proud to be in partnership with…
