Pretoria’s best kept secret – Rietvlei Nature Reserve

Rietvlei Game Reserve is a firm favourite of ours for when we want to go game viewing and do not have the time to go to the Kruger National Park or further out than Pretoria. At just under an hour to get there from Joburg, it’s definitely worth a trip, and you will find you want to return often, like we do.

We have been lucky enough to see cheetah and leopard, and our endangered rhinos. Please note: The rhino herd has recently had their horns removed and thus no rhino horn can be found in the game reserve premises. These photos were taken before this occurred, owing to two rhinos being poached. The reserve is also home to numerous buck, zebra and an abundance of bird life.

This is a self drive game reserve but you can make inquiries about their guided tours on offer. The roads are very good (around 60km of dirt and tarred roads so you can make your way around the reserve easily) and no need for a 4 x 4 vehicle. There are also bird hides and plenty of water holes to keep you busy while searching for wildlife.

We love driving through from Joburg early, to get to the gates around 6-6.30 as then its quiet, the conditions for taking photos are great (spectacular sunrises!) and we get to see the animals before they disappear for the heat of the day.

There is a coffee shop where you can go and have a nice brekkie or toasted sandwich. It’s nothing fancy and often the service is slow but you may be lucky enough to see one of the baby rhinos come to eat the lucerne/hay bales placed out for them in front of the coffee shop – which makes it totally worth it!

This is a lovely day trip, for locals and international guests.

The reserve is owned and managed by the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.