Western Cape: Swartberg Pass to reopen in both directions on 17 November 2017!

The Swartberg Pass, considered one of the most spectacular mountain passes in the world, is set to reopen in both directions on 17 November 2017. The repair work is not completely finished, so that, at times, the untarred pass will only be open on a monitored stop/go basis.


The 27km Swartberg Pass, which runs through the Swartberg mountain range between Oudtshoorn in the south and Prince Albert in the north, was badly damaged by devastating floods in April 2017.

KwaZulu Natal: Beaumont Nature Reserve has been declared a protected area!

The Beaumont Nature Reserve in the Swartberg region of KwaZulu Natal has been declared a protected area. The reserve is 1050 ha in size and stretches into the upper catchment of the Umzimvubu River. It consists mostly of grasslands, steep slopes and rocky sections. The reserve provides foraging grounds to a number of endangered and endemic species such as Grey Crowned Crane, Cape Vulture, Drakensberg Rock Jumper, Secretary Bird and Southern Bald Ibis. With the majestic Drakensberg towering in the background, the Beaumont Nature Reserve presents a special opportunity to conserve watershed services  that needs the mighty Umzimvubu River that sustains countless communities all the way through to Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape where the river eventually meets the ocean. The Beaumont Nature Reserve is the first of a number of privately owned properties in the region that will have protected area status bestowed upon them.