Game Drives at Mattanu Private Game Reserve

About Game Drives at Mattanu Private Game Reserve

Mattanu is a Hebrew phrase meaning, "gift from above". This is the underlying factor why we want to share Gods creation with everybody. This 4700 ha (11600 acres) Game Reserve, owned by the Kriek family, started in 1991 when the owner, Dr JC Kriek, originally from Zimbabwe, imported 95 endangered Roan antelope and 65 rare Sable antelope species into South-Africa from Malawi. This is regarded by many as the most successful Game capturing and importation operation ever. Dr JC Kriek is also regarded by many as the pioneer for the breeding of endangered antelope industry in Southern Africa.

Ever since then more than 300 Roan, Sable and Disease-free Buffalo have been bred at Mattanu. Dr JC Kriek also wrote the protocol for the breeding of disease-free Buffalo and fittingly was the first private game rancher to receive permission for the breeding of these Buffalo in 1994. The profit returns from the Malawi operation were used to purchase Mattanu Private Game Reserve, which was then a cattle farm, in 1990 and to date many millions have been spent in the development of the infrastructure and the re-introduction of numerous species. To date there are over 36 different animal species and approximately 900 animals on Mattanu.

Come and view these species by quad bike or game viewing vehicle on daily guided trips. The Northern Cape is a very dry province and therefore not many diseases exist in this province. This is one of the main reasons way most of the animals breed so well and why the conservation of all our species are so positive.

This is all worthwhile as Mattanu Private Game Reserve is not only a Game Ranch or a business, but a dream being realized and a passion of the whole Kriek family. Dr Kriek farmed Mattanu and still ran his veterinary practice in Kimberley until 2002 when he sold the practice and specialised as a wildlife veterinarian. He then moved to Mattanu permanently in 2012.

Jacques and his family moved to the farm in 2019-2022 and now resides in Kimberley from where he runs marketing and serves as Director of KWG. The breeding of endangered and rare antelope species is the main industry at Mattanu with very successful annual auctions held since 2016 for the sale of live wildlife from their state-of-the-art auction and boma facilities.

This forms the basis of the conservation work along with the game capture and immobilization by Dr JC Kriek, veterinarian and past commercial helicopter pilot and his son, Johann Kriek, commercial helicopter pilot both qualifying in 2004. Mattanu's private helicopter was sold in 2019 and they now lease one as required for the very popular bushveld dinner fly-inns, helicopter game viewing and the transportation of numerous guests. The Kriek family is personally involved in the reserve from a day-to-day basis.