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The reserve itself holds a rich and plentiful history in the Zulu kingdom, with its very name deriving from the Zulu language and meaning, ‘The place of calling’. This depicts the prominent hills of the reserve that served as the Zulu’s first meeting quarter, when the chiefs gathered to share their judgements and make the ever-important decisions that men of power so often make together. The Ubizane hill was also a signalling ground for summoning people from numerous other tribes across the valley.
To summon the people of the village to the hills, before the chiefs could shout out their decisions, they would beat drums and blow kudu horns to draw the people to a ‘meeting’. To this very day, as the sun sets over the plains below, you can almost hear the echoes of those horns and the beating of the drums from this iconic hill.
Overflowing with wildlife, both big and small, the reserve boasts some of Africa’s most renowned animals. This includes the White Rhino, Giraffe, Wildebeest, Zebra and the majority of the antelope species. Then, there are over 450 species of birdlife, adding colour and vibrance to every safari experience enjoyed here. Ubizane is centrally located, just 4 kilometres away from the town of Hluhluwe with easy road access to the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi National Park. This makes it a perfect stop-over for the travellers that are visiting the greater St. Lucia World Heritage Site. Situated two and a half hours from Durban’s King Shaka International Airport, both local and overseas visitors can experience a real piece of Africa in close driving proximity.
Ubizane’s history goes back more than 50 years, making it one of the oldest reserves in the area as well as one of the richest in terms of heritage and culture.
The reserve was originally acquired from the local Zulu chief to be used as a cattle farm. Later, it was converted to a hunting farm and then into an eco-tourism property in the late 1960s. As a result, this rich history makes Ubizane the beautiful reserve it is today. Today, we have embarked on a brand new era with renovations and restorations to try and restore some of the former glory that has stood for over 50 years. Thanks to modern technology and the vast amount of resources available to us, this is an attainable feat. As we look towards the future, the Ubizane family are excited about what lies ahead and the chance to celebrate the legacy of our location and lodge.
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