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ACCOMMODATION EXPERIENCES THE HIDELIVE CAM

Founders Lodge by Mantis
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Game drive on the Founders Reserve, Eastern Cape
THE RESERVE

Founders Reserve, a private reserve in South Africa’s malaria-free Eastern Cape

Adjacent to the greater Shamwari conservancy. Plains game and rhino on the reserve. Big Five viewing on Shamwari under contractual traversing rights. One hour from Gqeberha’s airport.
Rhino at Founders Reserve
THE LAND

A privately-owned reserve, adjacent to Shamwari

Founders Lodge is the only lodge on the Founders Reserve, a privately-owned reserve between Gqeberha and Grahamstown in South Africa’s Eastern Cape.
The reserve is adjacent to Shamwari Private Game Reserve, the 25,000-hectare protected environment founded in 1992 that reintroduced the Big Five to a region considered unsuitable for safari tourism a generation earlier. Founders Lodge guests experience Big Five game viewing on the greater Shamwari conservancy under contractual traversing rights.
Plains game and white rhino are resident on the Founders Reserve itself.
SEE THE LIVE CAM
WHY EASTERN CAPE

Malaria-free. Five biomes. Big Five.

The Eastern Cape is malaria-free year-round. That makes it the natural choice for families travelling with young children, guests on long-haul itineraries who’d rather skip anti-malarials, and medical- or pregnancy-led safaris.
The region sits inside five distinct biomes: fynbos, forest, thicket, grassland and savanna. A 60-minute drive from the lodge crosses more ecological variety than most East African reserves contain in total.
SEE THE EXPERIENCE
Elephant, Eastern Cape wildlife
THE SEASONS
WHEN TO COME

There is no wrong season here, only different ones.

Winter (May September) is the classic game-viewing window: dry, mild days, sparse vegetation, and animals drawn to water. These are the months when the Founders Watering Hole earns its keep with photographers. Pack for cold mornings on the vehicle and warm afternoons.

Summer (October April) turns the thicket green and brings the birds. Summer migrants lift the reserve’s bird list into its richest months, and newborn plains game arrive under dramatic Eastern Cape skies. Days are warm; drives start earlier.

Because the Eastern Cape is malaria-free in every month, the decision is about light, landscape and temperature, never about medication.

ON THE RESERVE
WHAT LIVES HERE

The Founders Reserve sits in the Albany thicket, a dense and ancient biome found nowhere in the better-known northern reserves. On the reserve itself, guests regularly see white rhino, giraffe, zebra and a range of antelope, with jackal, mongoose and a long bird list filling the spaces between.

The sunken photographic hide at the Founders Watering Hole puts guests at eye level with whatever comes down to drink. The same waterhole feeds the lodge’s Founders Reserve live cam, which streams the reserve to the world between stays.

Big Five days happen on the greater Shamwari conservancy, under contractual traversing rights: lion, elephant, buffalo and leopard, in a protected environment restored from farmland over three decades.

BEYOND THE VEHICLE
THE RESERVE, ON FOOT

Not everything here happens from a game vehicle. Guided walking safaris cross the reserve at ground level, where the guides teach the Interactive Wildlife Tracks and Signs Experience: reading spoor, dung and territorial markings the way trackers do.

The reserve also runs rhino observation and monitoring as a guest experience, part of the conservation project that keeps white rhino resident and protected on this land. It is a working introduction to what rhino protection actually involves, led by the people who do it daily.

GETTING HERE

One hour from Gqeberha’s airport

Founders Lodge is approximately 85 km from Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport (PLZ) in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), roughly one hour by road. From the N2, guests cross the Bushman’s River, turn at the Sidbury signpost, and follow approximately 15 km of gravel road before reaching the lodge entrance at a T-junction.
The lodge can arrange road transfers from PLZ on request. Please confirm your flight schedule with our reservations team when booking so we can coordinate timing. For a full picture of suites, drives and a typical day, see how to plan your safari.
AIRPORT CODE · PLZ
Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport · Approximately 85 km · Approximately one hour by road
QUICK ANSWERS

Frequently asked

Where exactly is Founders Lodge?

Founders Lodge is on the Founders Reserve near Sidbury, between Gqeberha and Grahamstown in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, approximately 85 km from Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport in Gqeberha.

Is Founders Lodge part of Shamwari?

No. Founders Lodge sits on the Founders Reserve, a separate, privately-owned reserve adjacent to Shamwari Private Game Reserve. Guests access Big Five viewing on Shamwari under contractual traversing rights.

Is the area malaria-free?

Yes. The Eastern Cape is malaria-free year-round, which is why the region has become the default choice for family safaris and long-haul itineraries where anti-malarial medication is undesirable.

How do I get to Founders Lodge from the airport?

Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport in Gqeberha is roughly one hour by road from the lodge. Road transfers can be arranged by the lodge at an additional cost; self-drive is straightforward via the N2 and the Sidbury road.
WHAT GUESTS SAY

★★★★★

“Really couldn’t see how things could be better. People so friendly. Room beautiful. Awesome wildlife!”

TripAdvisor · January 2025

Founders Lodge holds a 5.0/5 TripAdvisor rating from 211 reviews and a Travelers’ Choice 2026 award, the top 10% of properties worldwide.

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