Hello South Africa!

Our guide Mutombo

Hello again,

Our world is becoming smaller and smaller and travel becoming more and more affordable. And thank goodness for that, however not much else has changed. I have recently returned from a holiday to South Africa. The flight was long, the airplane seats hard and narrow and the inflight meals less than palatable…. however, within hours of my arrival in Johannesburg, my pain and suffering, not to mention my swollen ankles, were forgotten. I was about to embark on a BIG adventure.

The Portuguese first discovered South Africa in 1488, in the years that followed, this rich, untapped, vastly unexplored continent saw many masters. The Dutch made claim in 1652 and the British in 1795.

In 1802, the British strengthened their hold and increased their presence. In 1910, the new self-governing Union of Africa gained an element of international respect as a British Dominion. However, in 1934 South Africa became a sovereign nation state within the British Empire. In 1948 the ruling National Party introduced Apartheid (an Afrikaans word meaning ‘apartness’) – Apartheid ‘systematic extension of pre-existing racial discrimination’…. ‘apartness’ that, in every sense of the word, segregated black from white. South Africa’s Apartheid, the most brutal ‘apartness’, since the Holocaust, lasted nearly fifty years.

Between 1990 and 1993 de Klerk’s National Party held unilateral talks with the African National Congress to abolish Apartheid. In April 1994 South Africa held its first non-racial election. The African National Congress swept to victory and its leader; Nelson Mandela became the country’s first black president. The rest they say is history….

Gaining their independence

In the last few years, I have visited many many countries that have gained their independence from a foreign ruler. Suffice to say, some countries have fared better than others, all however, still bear the scars that can (often) hinder change.

The Africa of today still wears two hats and the ‘apartheid mentality’ still exists. I heard it, I witnessed it, I felt it. On the other hand, I also heard, witnessed and felt an undercurrent of bitterness (that many) post-apartheid Black African people, still carry in their hearts today.

It is easy to say let bygones be bygones and it is easy to say we need to change. But change comes from within. It comes from a want, a deep-seated desire, an aspiration for difference. Change comes from understanding the past, educating the future and perhaps most importantly acceptance. Acceptance from both sides of who we are and what we are. Otherwise it’s just lip service…and everything stays the same year in year out and for generation after generation. Let the adventure begin.

The flight from Australia was long and tiring and our small group of 8 welcomed an overnight stay in Johannesburg. The next morning, somewhat refreshed after a good night sleep, we gathered in the lobby of our hotel. All of us carried the look of eagerness and expectation of our big adventure that lay ahead.

Our minibus and tour guide Carel arrived promptly at 8.00am. Our destination, Matswani Game Reserve, was 270kms away; the journey would take most of the day. Along the way we visited Pretoria, and stopped at the Voortrekker Monument (this unique and imposing monument was inaugurated in 1949.

It commemorates the Pioneer and Afrikaner history of Southern Africa. At about 1.00pm we stopped for lunch, where we sampled some superb South African wine and about mid-afternoon, we stopped again and enjoyed some African coffee and cake.

As the kilometres fell away, our excitement mounted. Matswani loomed closer and closer. At last, as the afternoon drew to a close, we turned off the tarred road and bounced on to a well-used dirt track. Electric fences lined each side of the road. The first thing I noticed was a large white metal sign attached to the fence. A black stenciled outline of a large male lion dominated the centre of the sign. The word ‘Danger’ printed in red issued a very clear warning…Boom! just like that I was in Africa. I was to see that sign again and again, along with another that said, ‘Trespassers will be Eaten’! Carel pulled off the side of the road and stopped. Just beyond the fence a, few metres away, a Giraffe and her baby turned to look at as…and that was just the beginning.

Matswani Game Reserve houses three lodges. Lion, Elephant and Rhino – the very names sent a shiver down my spine. Our party was assigned to Lion Lodge. After a welcome drink, Jane, my long-time friend and I were escorted to our own little lodge ‘Gemsbuck’. Later that evening we were welcomed by our host and introduced to the staff who would look after us for the rest of our stay. Our host Johann asked us to abide by some safety rules, don’t walk off without telling anybody, try to walk in a group! Stick to the paths, if exploring the grounds, be back at the lodge by 4.00pm! Don’t feed the wildlife, don’t encourage the monkeys, don’t leave your lodge doors open when you are not there because the monkeys pinch stuff….!!! That done, we settled down to dinner. Our first meal was Eland steak and vegetables…more on that subject later.

“Don’t feed the wildlife, don’t encourage the monkeys, don’t leave your lodge doors open when you are not there because the monkeys pinch stuff….!!!”

For the next 10 days we saw the best Africa had to offer. We split our time between three game reserves. Matswani, Welgevonden and Pilanesburg. All three were unique in their own way. Matswani offered Giraffe, Zebra, Eland and Kudu. We also encountered Wildebeest and Warthog. Saw the resident four Ostriches, fed mum and dad crocodile and counted off their twenty little babies. We clapped hands and stamped our feet at the tribal dance night, sipped champagne at sunset on sunset rock and hid in the hide at Christina’s Wallow in the hope a leopard would come down to drink. We brunched at an elegant bush camp and after a night safari, enjoyed a BBQ of buffalo steaks.

Welgevonden (a neighbouring reserve) was an hours’ drive away and gave us a chance to see Africa’s ‘Big 5’. Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and Cape Buffalo. And she didn’t disappoint. We were excited to encounter a mother elephant, her baby and her inquisitive teenager, who to everybody’s delight, ambled up to us and laid his trunk on the bonnet of our safari truck.

On a later visit, we saw the same family again, however this time a very large bull elephant had joined the herd. The bull elephant had just come into ‘musth’ (ready/wanted to mate) and he only had one thing on his mind and boy was he agitated. When the testosterone-loaded bull elephant saw us, he raised his trunk, flapped his ears and charged our vehicle. Luckily, he stopped just short of us, trumpeted loudly, turned is back and shuffled off.

We also encountered a mother Rhino with her month-old baby. Mum and bub were feeding close to the roadside and were unperturbed by our presence. Dad, however, was nearby and he was ready to mate again. Mum Rhino was in no mood for any more hanky-panky and whenever dad came near, she snorted angrily and chased him off. Dad was not amused and took his frustrations on the safari truck in front of us. He rammed and head butted the truck, let off a few Rhino grunts and trotted away. We also saw Cape Buffalo, true African Wild Dog and the elusive Spotted Hyena.
Pilanesburg was two and a half hours’ drive away and was by far the largest of the reserves we had visited so far. Whereas Matswani and Welgevonden are privately owned, Pilanesburg is government owned and therefore open to the public. Pilanesburg National Park and Game Reserve is 57000 hectares and is home to almost all the Southern African game species. The park also boarders the Sun City Entertainment Complex.

We were met by our guide Walter, a smiling faced, boisterous black African, who had conducted game tours in the park for many years. He was keen to get under way and hustled us into our open sided safari truck. ‘Let’s go and find the Big 5’, he said. Before long we encountered a mother Cheetah and her 3 cubs. However, Mum and babies were resting in the shade of a large tree and were quite camouflaged. Walter advised us that it was too hot for the Cheetah to be out and about and would stay in the cool shade until later in the afternoon.

We moved off to a large man-made dam about 15 minutes’ drive away. Walter parked the safari truck on the roadside and pointed out a small herd of Hippo, their nostrils just visible in the water, Wildebeest, Kudu and Eland. Suddenly, Walters radio sprung to life, the Cheetah mum and cubs awake. ‘Hang on’, he yelled, ‘I’m going to drive very fast back to the Cheetah, so you can see them playing.’ We arrived back just as mum Cheetah and her 3 cubs emerged from the long grass. For the next 10 minutes, the cubs tumbled, played and chased each other, while mum stood look out. It really was a most wonderful sight. The cubs soon tired and mum moved them back into the shade. Walters radio crackled again; we were on the chase. A big male Rhino had been spotted by the waterhole. When we arrived, he was head down feeding, nearby were, Springbok, Zebra, Warthog, Eland and Giraffe.

At 1.00 pm we enjoyed a leisurely lunch at a small but elegant bush restaurant. At 2.30, Walter referred to the time and as we piled into our safari truck again, a large herd of elephant crossed the road.
Our time in South Africa passed all too quickly. We had encountered many many animals and had seen 4 of the Big 5. Lion eluded us, none the less, I was not disappointed. In fact, I was more than satisfied with what I had experienced. I had also learned some interesting facts; Warthog’s have a short neck, in order to eat, they must kneel on the ground! Zebra and Warthog hang out with Wildebeest, because apparently, if threatened by a predator, Wildebeest will sacrifice their babies to save themselves!! At night, quite a few of the animals who live on Matswani gather around the staff quarters because (as the staff quarters are well it) the animals feel safe!

And, last but not least, Matswai means ‘Honey Badger’ and Sabatana ‘Fearless’. I mentioned earlier Eland was on the menu for our first dinner at Matswani. I admit I was nervous about eating ‘game’. In fact, I found most of the meat quite pleasant tasting. There were two cuts of meat, however, I was steadfastly avoided, Warthog (I just wouldn’t eat the funny little piglets) and Buffalo, they were just too big…!!

Our Matswani companions were easygoing, funny and friendly. Thankyou to Kate and L.G., Julie and Mal, Jennifer and Jarrod and Sarah and Brian. My heartfelt thanks to Carel and Majela our guides (you really showed us the best) and to the caring and loving staff who, not only showered us with friendship, but also catered to our every need.

Our trip to South Africa was tarnished by the spread of the virus COVID-19. Many countries had closed or were closing their borders and we were advised to return to Australia immediately. Jane and I, along with Sarah and Brian, left on our scheduled flight. Upon arrival home, we endured (as per Australian government regulations) 14 days of at home self-isolation. However, the rest of our party were trapped in Johannesburg for more than a week before they secured a flight home.

Like many businesses, to protect their staff and to halt the spread of the virus, Matswai Game Reserve has closed its doors and gates to the public. The many staff who work and live on the reserve have been sent home. Some live close by, some as far away as Botswana. I saw the pain, not to mention the worry, on their faces as they broke the news to us.
I am sure that (hopefully soon) the scourge of COVID-19 will a pass and the everybody can get back to the business of living. In the meantime, be tolerant, be kind and stay safe.

Until Next Time,