Previously known as the Woodlands farm, Cheetah Ridge, has been a big part of the history of the local Ladysmith area. The fig tree that stands tall on the property is over 144 years old! During the Anglo Zulu war of 1879 the British built a temporary post office near the old fig tree at the Cheetah Ridge and when the post office was closed and messengers arrived, instead of using a postal stone to hide the post until the postman’s return, the post would be placed in-between the branches of the fig tree for the postman to collect upon his return.
The Anderson family bought the land in the mid 1900s. When Humphrey Anderson’s son, Dudley Charles Anderson, was of age, he and his son rode out from Ladysmith to a site nearby where Cheetah Ridge now stands. Humphrey gifted Dudley a piece of land to build himself and his family a home, Dudley went on to build a farmhouse, the very farmhouse forms a part of the lodge at Cheetah Ridge today.
The farmland was used to rear cattle and grow citrus fruits to feed the family and take to the local markets. Dudley nicknamed the valley to the north of the farmhouse, ‘Honey Valley’ due to the abundance of bee hives, which produced the most delicious honey from the pollen and nectar they gathered from the flowering acacia trees, citrus trees and winter aloes.
Around 1980 the farm was bought by a Colonel Odendaal of the South African army. Based in Ladysmith, the Colonel was a clever man, who used the military manpower to conduct training exercises for the troops and engineers having them construct many of the dams around the farmhouse, ultimately training his troops but also much improving the land.
Upon retirement the Colonel sold the land and it eventually made it into the hands of Rob Le Seur who founded Nambiti Private Game Reserve from the Woodlands farm land and surrounding cattle farms in 2005. A place with a soul. That’s what conservation visionary, Rob, was searching for when he serendipitously stumbled on the land that now forms the backbone of Nambiti Private Game Reserve. Rob decided to convert the original, grey-stone farmhouse on one of the properties into a luxury lodge, where Mother Nature’s bounty could not only be preserved, but enjoyed in comfort in lodgings built into the surrounding environment, for generations to come. And so, from modest beginnings, Cheetah Ridge Lodge was born.
Hi, I’m Brandon, and I am a passionate nature guide. I moved from the city to take on a new adventure and immediately found my passion for the bush and its wildlife, and it became my safe place away from all the stresses in life.
Meeting new people from all over the world and hearing their stories has become a favourite for me. I hope to continue this wild journey and gain all the knowledge I can and share it with others.
I’ve grown up in the bush and out in nature, so, becoming a guide was always the goal. After studying in the city for two years I decided to chase my goal and ended up achieving it. I love learning, whether it’s from colleagues, mentors or even guests, I’ll take in the information. I enjoy track and sign and trailing the animals as it feels more rewarding once you find them. Catch me by the dam, in my off time.
I love seeing guests experience wild animals for the first time and knowing I helped create that memory. At the end of the trip, when they say, “This was the most amazing experience of our lives”, and thank me for sharing my knowledge, that’s the most rewarding feeling in the world!
I hope my guests leave with a deeper appreciation for the intricate balance of nature, and how every animal and plant has its role. Conservation isn’t just a word we use, it’s the thread that holds this entire ecosystem together.
The opportunity to share my passion for the bush with others. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a guest’s face light up when they see an animal for the first time.
Every day is an adventure, and I get to be a part of creating memories that will last a lifetime.
I would want guests to take away a deep sense of connection to nature. A safari is not just about seeing animals; it’s about understanding the intricate web of life. I hope they leave with a new appreciation for the delicate balance of ecosystems and a renewed commitment to conservation. It’s about realising that we are all part of this incredible world and we have a responsibility to protect it.
I’d like to make sure that every moment spent in the bush is an unique experience that cannot be repeated. Whether it’s watching a dung beetle rolling it’s dung ball into the sunset, hearing the familiar call of the Hadeda Ibis or watching lions stalking their prey in a storm. Every moment is spectacular, no matter how big or small. The longer you stay in the bush, the more one start looking at things from an different perspective and realising how much you’ve overlooked since the beginning.