Welgevonden closed for all visitors until 1 APRIL 2025 - UPDATE: Welgevonden is fully open again
Welgevonden Private Game Reserve in the Waterberg region has been significantly impacted by severe and sustained rainfall over the past two weeks. As a result, the Reserve has made the difficult but necessary decision to temporarily close to all visitors until 21 March 2025. This decision ensures the safety of guests, staff, and all those involved in the Reserve’s operations. UPDATE: The reserve is fully opened again.
Why is the Welgevonden Reserve temporarily Closed?
The excessive rainfall has led to substantial damage to key infrastructure, making travel within the Reserve unsafe and impractical. The primary access roads have been severely compromised, with major sections washed away or rendered impassable. Key concerns include:
- Road Damage: Flooding has destroyed major sections of roads, including Bakker’s Pass, Schoongelegen Road, and the East Gate access road.
- Safety Hazards: Driving within the Reserve is dangerous due to road instability, and continued vehicle use may worsen the damage.
- Limited Services: Essential Reserve operations, conservation projects, and guest experiences are heavily impacted. Emergency response access is also restricted.
- Ongoing Rainfall: The forecast predicts continued heavy rain in the coming weeks, delaying road repairs.
What This Means for Guests
For the duration of the closure:
All gates are closed to general traffic. The Main Gate is accessible only for emergency and critical journeys.
Guest access is not permitted, and all tourism operations within the Reserve have been halted.
Lodge operations are limited to essential personnel for safety and emergency repairs.
No supply deliveries (such as water, gas, and refuse collection) will take place until further notice.
Lodges currently hosting guests must coordinate departures with extreme caution and notify Reserve management in advance.
Road repairs are underway, but full recovery will take time. A specialist road consultant has been brought in to assess the situation and help determine a timeframe for restoration.
The video demonstrates the impact on the roads and was filmed by Nadia de Swart, GM of Sediba.
What’s Next?
Reserve management will issue bi-weekly updates as the situation develops. Once conditions improve and roads can be repaired, a reassessment will take place to determine when the Reserve can safely reopen.
Questions or Concerns?
If you have a booking at Sediba Lodge that is impacted by these restrictions, our team will contact you as soon as possible. If you require further information, please reach out to reservations@sediba.com or wayne@sediba.com for assistance.
We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. The safety of our guests and staff remains our top priority, and we look forward to welcoming you back to Welgevonden once conditions allow for safe and enjoyable visits.