Great Karoo Wilderness

12/06/2026

You may have known us by another name. Great Karoo Wilderness is our bold new identity — same land, same people, same nationally declared and gazetted protection — carrying forward the proud legacy of the Mountain Zebra Camdeboo Protected Environment (MZCPE). 🌿

This name resonated deeply with our landowners — because the Karoo is more than a place on a map. It is a sense of place. A way of life. An identity worth protecting.

And this new chapter is being built on the right foundation.

Last week we continued with our stakeholder and landowner workshops as part of the revision of the Protected Environments 2026–2036 Management Plan — and we are deeply proud of what emerged.

Our landowners and stakeholders showed up with honesty, passion, and a profound knowledge of this land. The insights shared will directly shape how we manage and protect this extraordinary landscape for the next decade.

This is what makes Great Karoo Wilderness different. Our landowners are not just title deed holders — they are the heartbeat of this Protected Environment. Their voices matter, and this Management Plan will reflect that.

A special word of thanks to our partners at SANParks for their continued support and collaboration — and to Camdeboo National Park for so graciously making their facilities available to us. We are grateful to work alongside partners who share our commitment to this land. 🤝

Thank you to every landowner and stakeholder who gave their time, their wisdom, and their trust through this whole process. 🙏

South African National Parks Nation Park Great Karoo Wilderness

27/05/2026

We are truly honoured to announce that Great Karoo Wilderness has been invited to be part of the 2026 Karoo Winter Wool Festival Festival! 🙏🧶🌿

Great Karoo Wilderness — same land, same protection, bold new name — operating under the nationally declared and gazetted status of the Mountain Zebra Camdeboo Protected Environment (MZCPE).

Now in its fifth year, this incredible festival takes place on 3–4 July 2026 at Dwarsvlei Farm, just outside Middelburg in the Eastern Cape — right in the heart of the Karoo.

The festival celebrates wool, natural fibres, and the unique culture and people of the Karoo — values that sit very close to our own hearts. From live shearing and spinning demonstrations to the Natural Fibre Market and the Boerepraatjies programme, it is a gathering that truly honours the land and those who care for it.

We look forward to connecting with farmers, conservationists, and Karoo lovers — and to sharing our story with a wider audience.

Come find us there! 🔥

📍 Dwarsvlei Farm, Middelburg, Eastern Cape
📅 3–4 July 2026
🌐 www.karoowinterwoolfestival.com

Winter Wool Festival Karoo Wilderness

ONLY 6 WEEKS TO GO!

The Karoo is getting ready to welcome wool lovers, makers, creatives and families for another unforgettable Karoo Winter Wool Festival!

From inspiring talks and workshops to music, markets and warm Karoo hospitality — there’s something for everyone.

Thank you to our incredible sponsors for supporting rural creativity and South African wool.

🎟️ Tickets available on Quicket — don’t miss out!

22/05/2026

Visiting us for Stoep Tasting? 🌿

While you're here, why not explore the beautiful products produced by our landowners — each one a little piece of the Karoo to take home with you. 🛖❤️

Visit our website and head to the Landowners page to browse, get in touch, and plan your next stay.

👉 www.greatkaroowilderness.co.za


Great Karoo Wilderness

18/05/2026

What a privilege to have been invited to the Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative,Farmers' Braai and Knowledge Exchange in the Springbokvlakte in March ! 🔥🌿

It was truly inspiring to be among so many farmers interested about stewardship and conservation. We were honored to hear first-hand from Ed Kingwill, a farmer and past chairman, about what it means to farm with purpose inside a Protected Environment — and the vision for leaving a living legacy for the land.

Our Project Manager Ulrich Schutte was also given the opportunity to share the story of — a million-hectare Protected Environment between and around Camdeboo and Mountain Zebra National Parks, initiated by farmers just like those gathered around that fire.

Philip Ivey from the Rhodes University Centre for Biological Control - CBC,gave an eye-opening presentation on biocontrol as a practical solution against invasive cacti and alien plants — and expressed real enthusiasm to support farmers in the landscape going forward.

A delicious lunch at Kleinpoort Padstal, — where we also connected with the representative of WWF South Africa and Conservation Outcomes

Thank you to the Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative for the invitation and for creating this space for farmers, scientists, and conservationists to come together. This is exactly the kind of collaboration our landscapes need. 🙏

Click on the link to see more ...
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Gxz8dvkWk/

University Karoo Wilderness

22/04/2026

09/04/2026

A big thank you to the Karoo Origins - The Fossil Centre for featuring our Great Karoo Wilderness display. We’re proud to be part of this incredible storytelling space.

07/04/2026

We’re excited to share that the Great Karoo Wilderness is now on display at the Karoo Origins - The Fossil Centre

Our exhibit showcases the Great Karoo Wilderness landscape, its people, farming heritage, biodiversity, and the story of a living working landscape where conservation and agriculture thrive together.

If you’re visiting Graaff-Reinet, be sure to stop in and explore the display. We’d love for you to see it in person.

30/01/2026

🌿 Farming with Biodiversity in the Great Karoo Wilderness

Following the recent Daily Maverick article by Julienne Du Toit featuring the Sneeuberg mountain ranges, this second article deepens the story … highlighting how farmers and landowners across the Great Karoo Wilderness are driving a quiet but meaningful conservation revolution.

This reflects how agricultural conservation, long-term stewardship, and collaboration are shaping a resilient landscape that supports biodiversity, livelihoods, and food security … proving that conservation and farming can, and do, work together.

Thanks to our Visionary Partners TASC BKB Montego Pet Nutrition

📖 Read the article here:
👉 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-01-28-farming-a-conservation-revolution-in-the-karoo/

In 2012, the Sneeuberg mountains entered a new era in conservation. The Wilderness Foundation, working on behalf of South African National Parks, kicked off an effort to link the Mountain Zebra and Ca…

20/01/2026

🌄 Exploring the High Peaks and Hidden Valleys of the Great Karoo Wilderness

A beautifully written and visually striking Daily Maverick article shines a spotlight on the Sneeuberg mountain ranges … a rugged, lesser-known landscape now recognized as part of the Great Karoo Wilderness (the Mountain Zebra Camdeboo Protected Environment).

This piece captures the scenic grandeur, cultural depth, and quiet importance of a landscape shaped by people, climate, and time … and conserved today through collaboration and shared stewardship.

Well written by Julienne du Toit and fantastic images by Chris Marais!!!

👉 Read the full article here:
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-01-16-exploring-the-high-peaks-and-hidden-valleys-of-the-great-karoos-sneeuberg-ranges/

This is the newly named Great Karoo Wilderness (GKW), in which some 200 Sneeuberg landowners have signed up to form the largest Protected Environment in South Africa.We take you to the High Country of

16/01/2026

Well done to the Samara Karoo Reserve!! 👏

What a fantastic initiative to preserve local knowledge and ensure it’s recorded for future generations.