land shaped by time

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 Mmabolela’s story is rooted in exploration, survival, and conservation. In the 1800s, legendary hunter-explorers like Roualeyn Gordon-Cumming and Sir William Cornwallis Harris moved through this land, describing a valley alive with wildlife: signs of Elephants, rhinoceroses, and buffaloes trampling the land; while artists like Thomas Baines sketched its shady banks and river beds. 

In the 1920s, A.V. Lindbergh consolidated the area into Mmabolela Estates, naming it after a local legend and shaping an early model of todays private conservation. Today, Mmabolela spans 16,000 hectares across both countries - intertwining a rich history, intricate memory, and dedication to the wild and its natural rhythm.

Tucked along the Limpopo River lies Mabalel Pool, a perennial refuge surrounded by the reserve’s rare riparian fringe forest. This area plays a critical ecological role, offering permanent water and dense vegetation that support a wide range of species, from resident hippos and Nile crocodiles to fish, elusive bushbuck variety, and birds. The surrounding forest creates a corridor of shade and shelter, rich in plant diversity and home to a different rhythm of life compared to the drier bushveld beyond.

Protecting this zone is central to Mmabolela’s conservation efforts, as it sustains key ecological processes and offers a sanctuary through even the harshest dry seasons.