Nature & Conservation
Summerplace Game Reserve is a 3487 hectare game reserve where guests are free to walk, run and cycle on their own without a guide using our extensive trail network which is clearly signed posted and mapped.
The biosphere reserve has an ecology which is mostly typical of the 654,033 hectares of the UNESCO accredited Waterberg Biosphere Reserve. Summerplace Game Reserve has several hills with altitudes varying between 1293 -1516 meters above sea level. Sweet veld is generally only prevalent outside north of the Waterberg Biosphere. The reserve has significant areas with sweeter grasses and a high density and variety of different species of trees, bushes and flowers.
The sweeter grasses and abundance of varieties of trees, Combretum, Senegalia and Vachellia provide the habitat enabling a carrying capacity of 50 giraffe and presents the visitor with the rare opportunity to see wild roan antelope (the second largest antelope on the African continent) and tsessebe (the fastest antelope in the world capable of running at 80 kph) in their natural environment. Other species of antelope that are not commonly seen include the mountain reedbuck and the common reedbuck. Summerplace also has viable populations of sable, eland, kudu, impala, bushbuck, steenbok, common duiker and all the smaller mammals and reptiles that one would expect to occur naturally in the Waterberg Biosphere.
153 species of birds have been identified on the reserve, a number that will certainly increase over time as coverage increases. The reserve may perhaps reach 200-250 bird species.
Geology & Soils at Summerplace Game Reserve
Summerplace is entirely underlain by the uppermost formation in the Waterberg group, namely the Vaalwater Formation which is comprised of fine-grained sedimentary shale rock, siltstones and feldspathic sandstones. These rocks are finer-grained than the rocks that typify much of the Waterberg elsewhere and the gritty sandstones and conglomerates, so characteristic in some areas, are entirely absent from Summerplace. There are several striking fracture lines running across the property as illustrated by this photo.
A fracture line and its associated vegetation (dominated by wild olive Olea europaea) that runs east-west near the eastern gate.
These fracture lines introduce a distinctly different rock type into the area – dolerite, derived from underlying magma that has intruded along these zones of weakness. The soils derived from the sandstone/siltstone are white, grey or yellow in colour, sandy, with a low (<10%) clay content, deep in some places, shallow in other places, while the dolerite-derived soils have a higher clay content, a higher nutrient value and they are distinctly reddish, the colour difference clearly visible on Google Earth.
The most recent vegetation classification of South Africa (Mucina & Rutherford, 2006, The vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland) indicates that the hilly parts of Summerplace fall into the Waterberg Mountain Bushveld veld type while the plains are Central Sandy Bushveld. There is no clearcut distinction between the tree species recorded in each of these two areas.
Ripple marks along the Bush Baby Trail
An exceptionally good example of ripple markings is seen here in the fine-grained sedimentary rock exposed in the floor of the ravine. We’re all familiar with ripple-marks on a beach or on the sandy verges of a river, those characteristic ribbons of tiny ridges created by the ebb and flow of shallow water over a fine-grained sediment. The same process that creates the ripple marks on our beaches today has been ongoing for millions of years where fine-grained sediment is washed into shallow water and is moved about by the current.
Dr Warwick Tarboton identifying ripples on siltstone rock.
Ripple marks tell a story.
What is special about this example is that these ripple marks were created unimaginably long ago – about 1,9 billion years ago – a time when our planet was totally devoid of animal and plant life and the Waterberg was an inland sea into which sediments were being washed from long-gone mountains on an ancient continent. Just as in younger rocks where fossil remains of dinosaurs and lesser creatures have been preserved, so these ripple marks have been preserved in these ancient Waterberg rocks to tell the story of how and from which direction sediments were deposited in this basin. Their alignment shows the direction of the current responsible for the ripples (from the left to the right in this instance), and the height of the ridges indicates the velocity of the water moving the sediment.
Perhaps not as dramatic as seeing the skeleton of a dinosaur, but they offer a glimpse into one-upon-a-time events that went on millions of years before humans came on the scene.
Original Introduction of Large Mammals at Summerplace Game Reserve in 2021-2023
Upon the creation of Summerplace Game Reserve towards the end of 2021, a once-off opportunity arose to stock the new reserve with quality genetics from a wide variety of sources. Post the removal of all interior cattle and game fences, a contiguous area of 3 487 Ha was created.
Existing populations of Kudu, Bushbuck, Steenbok and Duiker were deemed sufficient whilst those of Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, Waterbuck and Impala were boosted by 4,12,4 and 42 animals respectively. These animals all came from an arid sweet bushveld farm northeast of Derdepoort, resulting in an important injection of new genes. In July 2022 a further 52 Impala and 4 Waterbuck were brought in from another farm in the same area.
Sable
The first sable to be introduced to Summerplace was an established herd of 32 sable made up of a breeding bull, a few young bulls and several cows and calves. They were sourced from a farm northeast of Summerplace where they had been free ranging for a while and were well acclimatized to the relatively harsh sourveld conditions prevailing throughout the greater Waterberg area.
Most importantly the herd had been allowed to structure itself along natural lines over a long period from a widely diversified gene pool, viz Matetsi, Zambian, West Zambian and Tanzanian bloodlines.
Tsessebe
Three blesbok (antelope extralimital to the Waterberg) had to be removed from Summerplace prior to the introduction of the tsessebe as the likelihood of interbreeding is high and Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) legislation does not permit the occurrence of both species on the same property.
14 Tsessebe cows and heifers from Shambala, a large reserve adjacent to Welgevonden, were the first to arrive, followed shortly thereafter by two breeding bulls from Keta, a 7 500 Ha reserve east of Lapalala, in the Marken area.
In May 2022 4 adult and 2 sub-adult bulls were introduced from the Derdepoort area, the intention being to establish bachelor herds, a very important social dynamic for these antelope.
The final introduction of tsessebe consisted of two breeding herds totaling 20 animals from a farm north of Thabazimbi in October 2022.
Common Reedbuck
Large areas of Summerplace offer ideal habitat for these antelope and it was somewhat surprising to find that none occurred naturally. 5 males and 10 females were sourced from a large farm east of Vaalwater where they had been originally introduced from Kwazulu Natal several years ago.
Giraffe
The unusually wide variety and abundance of suitable tree species throughout the reserve offers a unique opportunity to support a significant population of these animals. The net was therefore cast far and wide to ensure as much genetic diversification as possible. Small groups were obtained from both the immediate area and as far afield as Dwaalboom, Alldays, Marken, Vivo, Nietverdiend and Cumberland.
Roan Antelope
The first roan antelope arrived safely over a 24-hour period in January 2022 following a massive acquisition and logistical effort thanks entirely in the main to all the hard work put in over several months by our good friend Elsa van den Heever of Uzzi’a Game Breeders on the Marico River. Her overriding objective was to gather as many quality animals from as many different areas and gene pools as practically possible and Summerplace has benefitted significantly from her vast experience and expertise; the nucleus of 3 breeding herds having been successfully established.
As is well known the higher rainfall experienced throughout the greater Waterberg region results in a higher tick load and to mitigate this threat, (roan antelope are particularly susceptible to tick infestation), a herd of indigenous Boran cattle is intensively managed on the reserve. Not only do these cattle help to reduce the overall tick pressure each time they are dipped but they also perform a vitally important bulk grazing function, essentially mimicking the many beneficial ecological effects of a free ranging buffalo herd.
Cape Eland
In early April 2022 a great opportunity arose to source several eland to supplement the 3 (viz a bull, cow and calf) which were inherited from one of the incorporated properties.
A total of 50 animals were captured and relocated from Waterberg Estates, the Anglo American group of farms northwest of Lephalale. These eland were carefully selected from an age and sex perspective from around 400 animals free ranging on 8 500 ha. The reserve had originally been created by dropping the fences on 11 adjacent farms, resulting in a very strong and well diversified founder gene pool as a number of these properties had their own populations of eland at the time.
Eland from this area were deemed the most suitable for Summerplace, (they are also particularly susceptible to ticks), and whilst they are still in the process of adapting to their new environment, we are nevertheless hopeful that their introduction will be a success.
Mountain Reedbuck
A handful of mountain reedbuck occurred naturally on the reserve and in April 2023 a further 15 animals (4 males and 11 females) were successfully introduced. These all came from the 12 000 ha Elandsberg Nature Reserve just north of Rooiberg in Limpopo. Sourcing them from a very large naturally occurring gene pool of around 250 animals was critically important. Originating from a similar habitat not too far away should ensure the success of this introduction in the long term.
A Note on the Removal of the Blue Wildebeest
Unfortunately, these animals are responsible for a disease known as Malignant Catarrh (Snotsiekte in Afrikaans) which can be fatal to cattle. As buffalo are a non-starter from a safety perspective, and the Boran cattle herd are filling their ecological niche, it was decided to remove all blue wildebeest from the reserve. Not only will this protect the cattle from infection, but it will also relieve both grazing and social pressure on sensitive selective feeders, principally the roan antelope.
Roan Antelope at Summerplace Game Reserve
There are very few places in South Africa where roan antelope can be seen in the wild. There are no wild roan antelope in the Kruger Park for example. Summerplace Game Reserve is dedicated to providing its roan antelope population with an environment where they can ultimately develop a natural level of immunity to be re-introduced to game reserves where the species previously prospered.
All the species of mammals that were re-introduced to Summerplace Game Reserve would have occurred historically within the Waterberg Biosphere. We introduced 56 roan antelope specimens in early 2022. The animals were individually selected by Elsa van den Heever to ensure the reserve was stocked with the most diverse selection of bloodlines. 36 mature cows formed the foundation for three breeding herds. The three breeding herds were released from a 50-100 hectare enclosure only once the herd had chosen their matriarch. The leader of a roan herd is not the bull but a cow. She is referred to as the matriarch. The matriarch is chosen by the cows. It took each herd approximately 7-12 weeks to select their matriarch in the 50-100 hectare enclosure. After the matriarch had been selected, one breeding bull older than 5 years old was introduced to each herd before the herd was released into the reserve. Four younger bulls, approximately 3 years old were introduced separately into the reserve to form a bachelor herd. A bachelor herd is important to provide a level of competition for the breeding bulls and create a stock of genes for future breeding through natural selection.
The gestation period of roan antelope is 8.5 months and typically the cow can fall pregnant within the first month after giving birth. This results in the cows being pregnant for almost all of their adult lives. They suckle their young for 6 months which results in them being extremely overstressed when they are still suckling a large 6 month calf and being 5 months pregnant, particularly during the dry arid months at the end of winter and spring before the rains start in October/November.
Tsessebe at Summerplace Game Reserve
John Mackie is the Conservation Director at Summerplace Game Reserve. John has been breeding wild Tsessebe since he first founded Nondo Game Reserve near Dwaalboom in 2006.
Tsessebe are without doubt one of the most misunderstood and under-appreciated antelopes in Southern Africa. Having disappeared from their former strongholds in Zimbabwe and for the most part Botswana and the Kruger National Park the only viable populations remaining occur in a handful of reserves in South Africa and a slowly recovering population in Liuwa Plain, Zambia. Little to no attention was paid to them during the hey days of the game breeding industry in South Africa and consequently they are now much scarcer than either Roan or Sable antelope. Summerplace Game Reserve with its large areas of un-encroached sweetveld (unique for the Waterberg) and average rainfall in excess of 700 mm per annum, presented a great opportunity to establish significant numbers of these animals.
Tsessebe suffer from capture myopathy, do not travel well and do not tolerate being confined to small camps, necessitating their free release upon arrival. The creation of Summerplace Game Reserve offered a wonderful opportunity to source animals from different herds throughout the Limpopo Province resulting in a carefully planned, and well diversified gene pool.14 cows from Shambala (Vaalwater), 2 bulls from Keta (Marken),6 bulls from Nondo Game Reserve (Dwaalboom), and 2 bulls and 18 cows from Diepkuil (Thabazimbi) made up the founder population. We hope to source a few animals from Noordster (Lephalale) sometime during the winter in 2025.
Ultimately for Tsessebe to thrive it is very important that management keep the numbers of competing grazers such as Zebra, Blue Wildebeest and Warthog as well as mixed feeders such as Impala well under control. Mud wallows are an essential social requirement and the risk of interbreeding with closely related species such as Blesbok and Red Hartebeest is high in an enclosed area, hence their absence on Summerplace.
In short, Tsessebe have a very interesting social dynamic and contrary to popular opinion seem to prefer more, not less, of their own company!
Sable
We introduced an established herd of 32 sable made up of one breeding bull, a few young bulls and several cows and calves. They were sourced from a farm northeast of Summerplace where they had been free ranging for a while and were well acclimatized to the relatively harsh sourveld conditions prevailing throughout the greater Waterberg area.
Most importantly the herd had been allowed to structure itself along natural lines over a long period from a widely diversified gene pool, viz Matetsi, Zambian, West Zambian and Tanzanian bloodlines.
Trees & Shrubs at Summerplace Game Reserve
There are more than 400 trees that are tagged with the species name in Latin, English, Afrikaans and Sepedi. The trees are found on the seven walk trails and in the vicinity of the lodges and chalet accommodation.
Aloe marlothii subsp marlothii, mountain aloe, bergaalwyn – there are five ‘forests’ on the reserve each with 150-300 individual plants on less than one hectare. These five concentrations are spread along one of the fracture lines mentioned where they are found on the more nutritious dolerite-derived soils.
The largest and tallest Aloe marlhothii specimen in South Africa was recorded on 13th May 2024 by the National Register of Big Trees of South Africa (NRBTSA). It is found in the north-west of the reserve at 9.2m. It has a revised size index of 6.1, measured at Summerplace Game Reserve, Vaalwater, on 16 August 2025.
Pappea capensis (jacket plum), Ozoroa sphaerocarpa (currant resintree) and Senegalia goetzei (small-leaved purplepod thorn)– the largest specimens in South Africa of these 3 were recently measured on Summerplace and logged in the national Big Tree Register.
Summerplace Game Reserve Big Trees Mapping
Click the below button to view the full list that includes the 105 species that have so far been recorded on Summerplace. It is anticipated that the total number of trees and bushes on the reserve may exceed 150 species.
Tree Measurements of the largest and tallest Aloe marlothii subsp marlothii:
| Registration Number | Parameters | Measurements |
|---|---|---|
| Stem Girth (m) | 0.93 | |
| Stem Diameter (m) | 0.30 | |
| Number of Stems | 1 | |
| 029.5-2428AABC001 | Tree Height (m) | 9.80 |
| Average Crown Diameter (m) | 1.50 | |
| Crown Spread (m2) | 1.80 | |
| Index Calculated | 6.53 |
Download: Certificate National Register of Big Trees of South Africa (NRBTSA)
Senegalia goetzei (small-leafed purple pod thorn):
Nowhere else in the Waterberg will you see such a concentration of these trees and the forest of them around the reception area is surely unique. This is considered a tree with origins in Zimbabwe with a small outlier population found just in the Waterberg in South Africa. Palgraves (2002, Trees of Southern Africa, page 282) suggests that these may have been introduced to the Waterberg and if that were the case Summerplace Game Reserve must surely be where the introduction happened. The Senegalia goetzei measured at Summerplace Game Reserve, Vaalwater, on 16 August 2025, is the largest specimen of small‐leaved purple-pod thorn measured in South Africa. It has a size index of 64.66.
(Photos of all trees and flowers and animals can be found on http://www.waterberg-bioquest.co.za)
Schotia brachypetala (weeping boerbean):
Lots of specimens on the property including some exceptionally large individuals; a spectacular tree when in flower and a major source of nectar to birds, small mammals and insects.
Securidaca longipeduncuata (violet tree):
Many fine specimens of this threatened species.
Combretum nelsonii (Waterberg bushwillow):
This localised Waterberg endemic was found in a few places, e.g. near the Mcabe’s View Point.
Mystroxylon aethiopicum (bushveld koobooberry):
Dr Warwick Tarboton reported on 26th October 2023 that Waterberg Bioquest (www.waterberg-bioquest.co.za) have not found such large numbers of this species as occur on Summerplace on any other property in the Waterberg Biosphere.
Wild flowers at Summerplace Game Reserve
A report of the wildflowers present on Summerplace will be included shortly. As with the tree species, it is expected that there will be a large number of the species that occur in the Waterberg biosphere present on the reserve.
Birds at Summerplace Game Reserve
A little over 150 species of birds have been recorded on Summerplace to date but the list is steadily increasing as new species are picked up. A nice diversity of woodland species are to be found here and there are a number of birds-of-prey species present. Waterbirds, though, are in short supply given the paucity of wetlands on the property. Raptors to look out for are the Black-chested Snake Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle and African Hawk Eagle. Gamebirds are common and their presence is usually given away by their characteristic calls – listen, for example, for the shrill “tina-turner” notes of the Crested Francolin at dawn and dusk. Some of the more colourful woodland birds include the Lilac-breasted Roller, always to be found on the wires along the entrance road, the Woodland Kingfisher a common summer visitor, the Crested Barbet, resident in the Restaurant area, and the striking Black-headed Oriole.
A walk in the woodlands such as along the Sunset Trail may reveal some of the bush-shrikes, the Black-backed Puffback or Orange-breasted Bush-shrike, for example, or perhaps a roving family group of the striking White-crested Helmet-shrike. Another interesting species to be on the lookout for riding on the backs of game is the Red-billed Oxpecker, a species that was virtually extinct in the Waterberg but which has made a strong come-back in recent years. Whether you’re a newcomer to birding or a hardened addict, you’ll find much of interest on Summerplace.
The 13 basic vegetation communities at Summerplace Game Reserve
Summerplace – The 13 vegetation communities as they occur on the reserve. These are listed and numbered as follows:
- Faurea saligna & Olea europaea sandveld
- Vachellia robusta, Senegalia ataxantha & Olea europaea thornveld
- Combretum molle, Protea caffra & Faurea saligna mountain veld
- Terminalea sericea, Burkea africana & Senegalia caffra sandveld
- Pterocarpus rotundifolius & Combretum apiculatum woodland
- Senegalia caffra, Combretum apiculatum & Terminalea sericea woodland
- Terminalea sericea, Vachellia karoo & Olea europaea sandveld
- Vachellia nilotica, Vachellia karoo & Grewia monticola thornveld
- Combretum molle, Burkea africana & Faurea saligna mountain veld
- Senegalia goetzei, Vachellia karoo & Terminalea sericea woodland
- Digitaria eriantha & Cynodon dactylon vleiland
- Eragrostis heteromera & Leersia hexandra riverive veld
- Pterocarpus rotundifolius, Combretum apiculatum & Senegalia goetzei woodland
Water Sources at Summerplace Game Reserve
Summerplace sits on part of a watershed dividing the Mokolo and Lephalala Rivers both of which flow directly into the Limpopo River a few kilometers apart from each other north of the town of Lephalale.
Broadly speaking water from the south western portion of the reserve makes its way into the Mokolo River while that from the north eastern part of the reserve ends up in the Lephalala River.
Boran Cattle at Summerplace Game Reserve
Buffalo play a vital ecological role in grazing succession as bulk grazers, making short and more nutritious grasses more available to intermediate and selective grazers. This function becomes even more important in higher rainfall areas.
On Summerplace, in the interests of safety, Buffalo have been substituted by indigenous Boran cattle. These are herded daily, thus mimicking the benefits largely derived from a free ranging Buffalo herd, (grazing, trampling, fertilization etc).
The cattle pick up ticks as they move around and as they are dipped on a regular basis at least some of this parasite load is removed from the reserve. This benefits lighter skinned antelope such as Roan and Eland in particular.
A Buffalo herd is a mobile ecosystem of its own and their niche on Summerplace is more than adequately filled by the placid and easily herded Boran cattle.
