Welcome
Thota Lodge
The Place
Find us here in the vast southern Kalahari Desert of the Northern Cape, en-route to Botswana and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. With breathtaking views of the Koranna Mountain range 100 km to the south of our exclusive chalet, and a garden oasis with a tranquil vista of the dry Kuruman river at the main farmstead, each of our locations are sure to offer a unique Kalahari experience.
We offer self-catering lodging in 3 different locations. Camelthorn Chalet boasts a spectacular view of the Kalahari planes and golden sunsets. The Bessiebos campsite is a private and unfenced campsite that makes you feel like you are nestled amongst the Kalahari bushes and trees. The Weaver bird self-catering rooms are located at the main farmstead and is a unique fusion of Kalahari solitude and a busy farmstead. Here we also boast of truly South African luxuries like solar power and clean fresh water from our borehole.
On the farm you will find our livestock herds of cattle, boergoats and sheep, happily sharing their daily lives with the oryx, springbok and kudu amongst them. Also keep an eye open for the more elusive animals like the aardvark, porcupine, bat eared fox, aardwolf, honey badger, pangolin, and the ever-sly black backed jackal.
The Experience
What you can experience here on the farm is a good cup of coffee and a tranquil atmosphere in the privacy we boast in each of our unique accommodations.
For those that like to explore, we offer activities like bakkie-skiing and 4×4 self-drive views of the surrounds.
Bakkie ski is unique to Thota Lodge and was invented by the original owner and his sons. Challenge yourself to balance by “skiing” on the sand, dragged behind a pick-up truck on a piece of conveyer. You decide on the speed and the danger level. Please note that an indemnity form is to be signed.
Visitors are welcome to hike along any farm path specified by the owners. Always carry sufficient drinking water in case of emergencies, and stay within the property borders.
This area is any bird watcher and Insect lovers’ paradise. There are over a 100 bird species recorded. Settle yourself near a watering crib and you are sure to get some good camera shots.
Self-drive 4 x 4 drives on the property are permitted, as long as visitors stay on the paths an adhere to the rules and areas specified by the owners. There are springbok and oryx aplenty, and keep an eye open for the shy pangolins and aardvark.
If you want to learn more about our farming practices, or participate in any of the farming activities, this can be arranged subject to season and the owner’s availability.


The people
We are a family owned and run business that was established by the original owners, but is now largely managed by the second generation.
For the past 30 years the original owner and founder has been farming to best maintain the fragile ecosystem through proper farming management. In the last two years, owner and son have been going the extra mile in implementing regenerative agriculture structures and by re-analysing their farming practices to be even more environmentally sustainable. Cattle, goats and sheep are raised on natural grazing on this 4000ha expanse of land in higher intensity grazing strips to better mimic natures natural herding patterns as in the fence free past. This means antelopes and critters, large and small, share the land together with our livestock herds, but have a lot less wires and a lot more freedom compared to older traditional farming methods. This is all a work in progress, and as a family we strive to continually improve our methods and learn how we can keep on farming for generations to come while helping to heal the land.
We also keep multiple bee hives for our own raw Kalahari honey. Honey is extracted twice a year from the hives, usually in April and September, depending on the rainfall. During spring the honey has a very distinctive taste given by the flowers from the Acacia mellifera, also commonly known as Haakbos or Swart Haak.
We keep on fighting the harsh Kalahari elements as best we can to keep a well sized vegetable garden and strive toward self-sufficiency.