Picture a Sunday scene: camping in a tent alongside a slow flowing river, midnight songs by campfire light, a drive through the country and a picnic by a lake. Imagine a 1500 kilogram hippo wading in the river by the tent and a 20-foot crocodile walking through the grass near the campfire. You turn a corner in the bush to encounter a three metre tall elephant ripping down a tree or four white rhinos stopping for an evening drink. Add to this speeding ostriches, countless warthogs, deer, 400 bird species, 37 kinds of fish, reptiles, tracking lions and cheetahs and you understand why the Limpopo-Lipadi Game and Wilderness Reserve describes itself as 'a life changing experience'.

Own a lifelong share of the Reserve

The 32 450-hectare reserve is located along 21 kilometres of the Limpopo River in eastern Botswana along the South African border. The Reserve is offering interested parties the chance to own a lifelong share of the reserve for US$195 000 per share. This entitles them to visit the Reserve, stay in one of the luxury lodges and go on safari, learn to become a tracker or do courses such as wine tasting or archaeology.

There are three different share options available: Gold, Platinum or Diamond status. Gold status, which is a single share, means the user can visit the Reserve as often as they like for a maximum of two weeks at a time. However, at the end of each two week period they can book another visit and stay on if there is availability. Owners can bring up to five guests free of charge and additional guests are charged at R200 per person per night.

Platinum status, or three shares, means the user can book for up to 90 days and can bring up to 11 guests free of charge per visit. Four or more shares give you Diamond or Private Lodge status and this entitles the purchaser to own their own lodge at the Reserve. The cost is, however, in addition to the price of the shares. The basic units are 300m², excluding the deck, and have four bedrooms. A Diamond status owner can visit the Reserve as often they wish within the 90 day period allowed for foreigners, use the Reserve vehicles and facilities and have guests stay in their own private lodge.

A company, group or trust can buy a share. One nominated user must, however, be appointed and this person is responsible for the overall share and must be present on every visit. The owners will use the luxury lodges, of which there will be six different types, individually designed around different areas and locations of the Reserve. These will be for shareholders and their guests and will not be for the general public who will have access to two 24-bed commercial lodges which will be rented out and the income used towards running the Reserve.

The Reserve is one of the few places in Botswana where foreigners can buy

The Reserve, which is made up of several farms that were either bought or leased, eventually aims to extend to 60 000 hectares and is one of the few places in Botswana where foreigners can buy. Located in the Tuli Block in a malaria free region of Botswana, the Reserve is 450 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg — a five hour drive. Alternatively, owners will be able to fly directly into the Reserve in their own jets as there are plans to build a landing strip onsite.

Botswana is one of Africa’s richest countries and the majority — nearly 80 percent — of its export earnings comes from diamond mining with the famous De Beers company active in the region. A country the size of France but with a population of just over 1.6-million, this vast wilderness has 29 percent of the land dedicated to reserves — the highest figure in the world.

The country has a low crime rate and is very tolerant. The current president, Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama, has a black father and white mother and when we visited the local Moletamane village — with which the Reserve operates an ongoing corporate social responsibility program — the local Chief informed us that of the five representatives on his council two were women. As any reader of Alexander McCall Smith’s Botswana based mystery series ‘The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency’ will know well, female empowerment is taken very seriously.

The country is not without its problems. It has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world and providing health care and facilities is therefore a priority for the government and the Reserve managers. It is diamonds that have made Botswana one of the richest African countries, with GDP growth of 5.4 percent. Its true treasures, however, are its wildlife and reserves. This is very much a slice of the African wilderness that shareholders are buying into and the Reserve has a dedicated sustainability programme in place to maintain the Reserve’s ecological balance. Only 0.01 percent of the Reserve land will have lodges on it. New houses are being built for the workers and the owners’ ecological, conservation and social efforts saw them win a gold award for ‘Best Sustainable Development’ at the Homes Overseas Magazine Awards 2007.

A similar development in the area exceeded 300 percent capital growth over the last five years

Investment focused buyers will be keen to know that Alan Marneweck, the Reserve’s Director, reports that a similar development in the same area has exceeded 300 percent capital growth over the last five years and share prices have risen to US$195 000 at present from US$96 000 in January 2007. So far, approximately 200 of the 475 available shares have been sold with 70 percent of buyers being foreigners.

For further information: 00 27 82 333 1905 / www.limpopo-lipadi.com