Waterberg Research Support Centre

27/07/2026

Join Us for the Waterberg Nature Conservancy General Meeting!

You're warmly invited to attend the Waterberg Nature Conservancy 3rd General Meeting on Thursday, 30 July 2026, at 14:00 at NG Kerk, Vaalwater.

This meeting will feature insightful presentations from leading researchers and conservation experts, covering topics such as the Waterberg's natural and cultural heritage, conservation ethics, and collaborative research initiatives shaping the future of our region.

Date: 30 July 2026
Time: 14:00pm
Venue: NG Kerk, Vaalwater

We look forward to welcoming you as we continue working together to protect and conserve the unique biodiversity and landscapes of the Waterberg.

27/07/2026

THIS IS HOW WE KEEP IT TOGETHER ON A MONDAY AFTERNOON...MID-YEAR.

Show us how you do it!

07/07/2026

𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐆

We're excited to celebrate the publication of a significant new scientific paper documenting the remarkable spider diversity of South Africa's Waterberg District.

After more than 40 years of surveys and research, this landmark study records 𝟔𝟎𝟎 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐠—representing 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 and highlighting 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬! These findings reinforce the Waterberg's status as one of South Africa's most important biodiversity landscapes and a globally significant conservation priority.

The publication also showcases the value of long-term biodiversity investment. One of the major contributors to this work was the Foundational Biodiversity Information Programme (FBIP) Waterberg Biodiversity Project, which undertook extensive surveys across the Waterberg Mountain Complex between 2022 and 2024 to better understand how elevation, habitat and landscape features shape biodiversity.

Foundational biodiversity data such as these provide the evidence needed for:
• informed conservation planning;
• protected area management;
• climate change adaptation;
• Red List assessments; and
• sustainable land-use decision-making.

The Waterberg continues to demonstrate why it is one of Africa's most extraordinary natural landscapes—not only for its iconic wildlife, but also for the thousands of smaller species that underpin healthy ecosystems.

Congratulations to Prof. Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman, Dr. Caswell Munyai, Dr. Tharina Bird, the late Prof. Stefan Foord, Waterberg landowners and all collaborators whose dedication has contributed to this important milestone.

Every new biodiversity record strengthens our understanding of the Waterberg and helps ensure that this exceptional landscape is conserved for generations to come.

Full PDF can be downloaded at: https://lnkd.in/dTAjaJVH



Jembisa - An African Bush Home
Kaingo Game Reserve
Lapalala Wilderness
Leobo Game Reserve
Lindani Game and Lodges
Masebe Provincial Nature Reserve
Swebeswebe Nature Reserve
Welgevonden Game Reserve
Welgevonden Biomonitoring

Waterberg Biosphere Reserve
Waterberg Nature Conservancy

12/06/2026

Annual General Meeting Invitation!!!

17/04/2026

17/04/2026

*SAVE THE DATE*
2ND WATERBERG RESEARCH CONFERENCE
27-29 JAN 2027

The WRSC team has commenced planning of the 2nd Waterberg Research Conference at Shekina Lodge Mabula Game Reserve!

This will be one not to be missed!

See you there!

Don't hesitate to reach out to Marilize Greyling at [email protected] if you would like to get involved.

WRSC TEAM

Waterberg Biosphere Reserve
Waterberg Nature Conservancy
University of Limpopo
University of Pretoria
University of Georgia
University of Liverpool
The Rhisotope Project
Waterberg Stereo 104.9FM
Waterberg Tourism
Endangered Wildlife Trust

15/04/2026

MAKGABENG PLATEAU

In the beginning of the year the WRSC team visited the Makgabeng Plateau, meeting with important local and institutional stakeholders.

Have you ever heard of or been to this magnificent area? Nestled just south of Blouberg, south-west from Soutpansberg and north-east from the Waterberg, this area serves as an important corridor area for these mountain ranges.

The Makgabeng Plateau is more than a landscape — it’s a living archive of nature, culture, and history.

Spanning 332 km², this pristine cuesta holds nearly 1,000 remarkably preserved rock art sites — where hunter-gatherers, herders, and farmers all left their stories, sometimes on the very same panels.

But Makgabeng is not just about the past. As part of the UNESCO-recognized Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, and a critical biodiversity refuge, it protects rare and endemic species — and even ancient microbial life that helped make Earth habitable.

It remains deeply alive today: a place of heritage tourism, spiritual practice, and indigenous knowledge systems that sustain local communities.

Protecting Makgabeng means safeguarding an irreplaceable legacy — for science, for culture, and for future generations.

What were we doing here?

Stay tuned to find out...






Vhembe Biosphere Reserve
University of Limpopo
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Tswane University Of Technology