Shumbalala Game, relaxation that inspires
Thalefang Charles | Thursday September 18, 2025 09:26
For years, the promise of agricultural tourism and game farming as an alternative to the country’s overreliance on safari tourism has been a topic of discussion. Yet, we have waited to see a tangible model that delivers on this vision. Shumbalala Game, located in the famed Sandveld ranches, has surely nailed the concept, offering a model product that seamlessly fuses agriculture and tourism.
Arriving at Shumbalala, which is situated within the vast Maoto Mabedi Farm, the place greets you with an unexpected serenity. In a landscape painted in the khaki and dull greens of the winter season, the lodge emerges as an oasis. Manicured, emerald lawns sweep around the property, in is a pleasant contrast to the surrounding Kalahari shrubs. The greenery creates a peaceful sense of calm and luxury.
The accommodation is designed for both play and relaxation. The executive rooms are spacious sanctuaries, each with indoor and outdoor showers. Arranged in a welcoming horseshoe around a central boma, they give a sense of community while also offering privacy.
It is this central boma that boldly declares Shumbalala’s unique identity. The boma has two large-screen televisions and a quality sound system which is a unique but welcome departure from the stricter, no music camp-style of the Okavango Delta. The area can host a lively games night with friends or a great quiet retreat with colleagues.
The large turquoise swimming pool in front of the bar looks inviting especially during the sandveld scorching heat season.
Tourist activities there include the game drive inside the thriving game farm, which has plenty of various species of antelopes, as well as zebras and giraffes. For those seeking adrenaline, the roar of a quad bike through the farm’s unending cutlines or the steady rhythm of a horse ride, provide an exhilarating adventure. Team-building is also catered for with activities like paintball and sip-and-paint sessions.
But the most captivating and unique experience is the Maoto Mabedi Farm tour, which is an inspiring glimpse into the future of sustainable cattle farming. Visitors are guided through a series of four vast paddocks, each holding hundreds of top-quality, pedigree cattle. One paddock, which is dedicated solely to big bulls, 85 in total, according to the Farm Manager, Ndipo Mangwana, representing various superior breeds, is a sight to behold.
The farm tour is very educational. Depending on your disposition, you will leave the farm either deeply inspired or wonderfully envious. It is a breath of fresh air to see a fully local establishment execute the concept of farm tourism with such scale and ambition.
A significant barrier to the Sandveld for many has been its notorious terrain. The name Sandveld conjures images of deep, challenging sand, and a territory reserved for 4x4 enthusiasts. Luckily Shumbalala Game Lodge has effectively dismantled this notion. They have meticulously graded the access road, making it easily navigable for standard small vehicles. And for those who remain cautious, the lodge offers a convenient park-and-ride service from their feedlot near Otse along the Lephephe road.
And when you are having siesta listening to some music at the boma or dipping into their crystal-clear swimming pool, while having some of the finest multiple distilled beverages, you will realise that Shumbalala Game is such a sweet spot.
It is a destination that confidently challenges preconceptions. It proves that wilderness can be accessible, that agriculture can be luxurious and inspirational, and that a Botswana vision for integrated tourism is possible, and already thriving in the heart of the Sandveld.