Founders Lodge – Where conservation meets safari in South Africa’s Eastern Cape

It’s 6am, and I’m not at all excited to get out of bed. I pulled myself out from under the warm duvet and headed into the dining room to get some coffee and head to the waiting toy car. We set off on our journey, cozying up under blankets with a flask of hot coffee in hand.

Early morning light shines over the reserve as our guide wanders through the reserve’s rugged dirt trails. Within minutes, we came across a breeding herd of elephants. Young calves play while the mother watches them, stripping branches from the spekboom’s arm while she waits. A few decades ago, this scene would have been unimaginable. The land was overgrazed farmland, stripped of wildlife and plants. But today, thanks to a bold rewilding experiment, it is home to a full range of safari animals, from antelope to predators, and has become one of the country’s most inspiring conservation success stories.

At the heart of this transformation are two characteristics: Shamwari Private Game Reserve And the smaller one is adjacent, Founders Lodge by Mantis. Together they represent not only the best safari destination, but also a living case study of what happens when ecology, vision, dedication and tourism come together.

The story of the Shamwari is considered a legend in African conservation circles. In the early 1990s, farms exhausted by overgrazing of livestock were purchased; With the plan to reclaim the land. The walls fell. Albany’s grasslands and forests have been restored to a healthy state. Then came the wildlife. Elephants, white rhinos and hippos were the first to return, their grazing helping to replenish the soil and spread seeds. Black rhinos and buffalo followed. Then came the predators, the lion, the cheetah, the brown hyena, and finally the leopard. Within a decade, Shamwari had become the first Big Five game reserve in the Eastern Cape. “We wanted to show that conservation can be profitable, sustainable and very humane,” says Adrian Gardiner, the man behind Shamwari & Founders.

Gardiner insists he did not view this as a “quick fix”, nor did he view it as a short-term project. “Conservation has no expiration date. It’s a lifelong commitment,” he told me, and the evidence is all around us. The Shamwari region now extends over 60,000 hectares and is home to healthy wildlife populations, including many endangered species. Furthermore, the reserve has become a model for similar projects throughout the province. Shamwari’s success has inspired nearby landowners to return to the wilderness as well; Creating a corridor of wildlife reserves where there was only farmland.

Founders Lodge represents a more personal side to this story. Originally the Gardiner family home, the lodge is located on 400 hectares of rolling hills, adjacent to the Shamwari Reserve. Today it operates as an eco-lodge, with seven suites and a restored five-berth railway carriage located on a hill a short distance away.

The main building retains a classic farmhouse atmosphere, with wide verandas, stone walls and open lawns. An outdoor fire pit and shaded porch provide sunny lunches and quiet evenings sitting under the stars, while the pool and gym give you a place to stretch your body between safaris. However, what sets the lodge apart from others is not just its design or décor, but also its direct connection to the wider Chamois landscape and the conservation journey that began here.

Back at the Founders, after our morning game drive, I sat on the balcony outside my room. I can see a rhinoceros grazing a few meters away, and the only thing between us is a knee-high electric fence. Over the years, the founders have become a rhino sanctuary, as many of the rhinos here were survivors of the horrific poaching trade – in fact, some still carry bullet fragments in their bodies. Poaching remains an ongoing threat, and both reserves invest heavily in around-the-clock monitoring, dehorning programs, and anti-poaching units. So to see them here, grazing peacefully, is wonderful.

Outside the grass are rhinos, but inside the lodge grounds, zebras graze, and in the distance I can see the magnificent male kudu, with its stunning horns. After lunch, I head to the underground photography hideout located at the lodge’s watering hole. I was just in time to see a giraffe awkwardly bend over to drink. Shortly thereafter, the rhino and her calf arrived for a mud bath and general wallowing in the water hole.

The afternoon comes, and we head out for another drive. The lion’s distinctive roar echoes from somewhere in the reserve. We head towards the sound, synonymous with the African bush, and after many twists and turns, skirting around a leopard using the top of a termite mound as a lookout point, we are rewarded with the sight of a thick-maned male lion patrolling his territory, announcing his presence for all to hear. We sit and watch for a while, amazed by the size and strength of this powerful predator.

What makes both Shamwari and Founders unique is that safaris here are not just about lists of animals seen. Yes, the “Big Five” are here, but what’s special about this place is that it’s more than just the animals, it’s the whole story behind the reserve – removing fences, regenerating vegetation, and reintroducing wildlife. Community partnerships are also central to the model. From the beginning, Shamwari and the founders prioritized training and employing local people, along with supporting local schools and running conservation education programmes. This has led to a shift in attitudes towards wildlife. What was once seen as competition for territory has now become a source of livelihood and pride.

Today, the Eastern Cape region of South Africa is firmly on the safari map. Previously overlooked in favor of Kruger or KwaZulu-Natal, it now offers a malaria-free safari experience, milder weather, and completely restored landscape. Shamwari has become a global name, welcoming celebrities and environmentalists alike, while Founders offers a smaller, yet still very personal way to connect with the same legacy.

Practical information

Founders Lodge by Mantis is located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, approximately 75 km from Port Elizabeth Airport (Gqeberha), which is well connected to Johannesburg and Cape Town. The area is malaria-free, making it a great place for families, and private use options are available for multi-generational families or small groups.

Kingdom of Sarah

Sarah Kingdom is a travel writer from Sydney, Australia. When she’s not climbing or traveling, she lives on a cattle farm in central Zambia.