Introduction to the South Africa and Mozambique Research Sites

There are four groups of research and training facilities available. One group is in the Kruger National Park where there is one field camp.   The second set of research facilities are in KwaZulu Natal.   The third set of facilities is in the Waterberg Mountain Biosphere Reserve and the fourth set of facilities are the marine research sites, Ponto Marine Research Centre and Sodwana Bay Centre.

The expeditions start on a Saturday at 0800hrs and finish on a Friday at 12noon. However, the start locations vary for the different expeditions. For the Kruger projects the projects start and finish from the Inzikazi Camp in the Mdluli Concession at Pretoriuskop, whilst the KwaZulu Natal projects start and finish at the Zululand Rhino Reserve. The southern Mozambique projects also start from the Zululand Rhino Reserve although if you are working on the Kruger or KwaZulu Natal projects before you join the southern Mozambique projects you will be transferred to the site without needing to return to the Zululand Rhino Reserve. The easiest way to get to these start points is to organise your flight to Johannesburg and then log onto the Wildlife Ecological Investments website (www.wei.org.za), the NGO that organises the logistics for the research programmes, to arrange for your overland return transfers from the airport (6-7 hrs for Kruger and 8-9 hrs for KwaZulu Natal)) and first nights accommodation.  You will be responsible for these costs (approx £195 or US$300) before the expedition start time.  

If you are doing a project in the Waterberg mountains then the start point would be the Research Camp in the Welgevonden Reserve.  Transfers from Johannesburg airport to the Welgevonden, which take approximately 3-4 hours, can be arranged by WEI for £95 or US$160.   

If you are wanting to combine the Waterberg with any of the other sites then you will need to return to Johannesburg and take an overland return transfer to either Intibane (for KwaZulu Natal and southern Mozambique projects) or Inzikazi (for Kruger projects).  It is not possible to combine Kruger and KwaZulu Natal projects.

The general facilities and conditions for projects in South Africa and Mozambique are also described below.  

Bush Research Facilities

Greater Kruger sites  Kruger is generally regarded to be the best Park in southern Africa in terms of size, quantity of game and management. Students will be working in one of two sites; the Mdluli Concession or Manyeleti Game Reserve. The Greater Kruger Projects start and finish in the appropriate camps. The Mdluli Concession is in the south western sector of the Park and students based here will be staying at the Nsikazi Bush Camp. This camp is used as the base for year round surveys on a range of taxa and their habitat associations. The camp is surrounded by an electric fence to deter elephant, rhino and buffalo and accommodation is in dome safari tents with mattresses. Bathroom facilities are in a separate toilet and shower block. There is a large central mess tent where meals are taken and a separate research tent for lectures and invertebrate identification. Manyeleti Game Reserve is unfenced to the western boundary of Kruger National Park and the northern boundary of the exclusive Sabi Sands Game Reserve. Manyeleti covers 23,000ha and students here will be staying in the Reserve's Main Camp which has single sex dorms with separate ablution blocks. This is our most spacious camp and is situated next to a large dam which is always worth a visit to check for visiting animals. Projects based at the greater Kruger sites are coded SK.

Dr Martin Speight

KwaZulu Natal Sites  Opwall volunteers on Pongola or other KwaZulu Natal (KZN) based projects will complete their bush training elements in one of the many big 5 reserves in the region. Accommodation will be in a basic bush camp which has safari tents, hot and cold water showers, and a central eating area, as well as lecture facilities. The Pongola Reserve where the elephant behaviour projects are based is in a 30,000ha reserve containing all the normal game species except lion and is an up market lodge destination. A research camp has been built with twin bedded accommodation and communal shower and toilet facilities. There is a separate research centre and access to game vehicles and armed guards to complete the elephant surveys. All projects based at Pongola or any other KZN sites are coded SZ.

Waterberg sites  This project is shared between two sites: Lapalala and Welgevonden Game Reserves. These are two of the larger protected areas within the recently declared UNESCO Waterberg Biosphere. Welgevonden is a leading reserve in sustainable ecotourism and is home to over 50 different mammals, including all of the Big Five plus giraffe, zebra, cheetah, brown hyena and leopard. Volunteers will be accommodated at the new research centre within the Reserve. Accommodation is in canvas safari tents with shared ablution facilities. The camp has a central dining and recreation area with a fully equipped kitchen with gas stove, oven, fridge and freezer. Volunteers will prepare their own meals and are responsible for daily cleaning of the camp. Lapalala was once a wilderness area and was bought in order to protect it from development. It currently has no lion or elephant (one of the reasons why baseline data is so important before these are introduced) but does have many other large game species. The reserve management have helped set up one of South Africa's leading environmental education centres, and are committed to community development schemes in order to incentivise conservation practices. Volunteers will stay in shared en-suite rondavels (a circular kind of chalet or room), and take their meals from the central dining area. Projects based in the Waterberg are coded SW.

Marine Research Facilities

Malongane Marine Research Centre  This research centre, which was established in 2009 forms part of an existing dive centre with arguably the best access to reefs in southern Mozambique. Accommodation is in tents with communal toilet and shower facilities and computer facilities have been established. Independent research boat launches have been organised to facilitate the research. Projects based at Malongane are coded MM  Sodwana Bay Marine Training Centre  The Sodwana Bay Training Facilities have been developed within an existing dive centre in northern South Africa close to the Mozambique border and in a picturesque part of the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park. This marine reserve lies adjacent to Africa's southern-most coral reefs. Accommodation will be in tents, situated in a shaded bush camp. There is a toilet and shower block with hot and cold water and there will be pool facilities available for the confined water elements of the Open Water course. The centre is fully equipped with speed boats and diving facilities. Projects based at Sodwana Bay are coded SS.

General facilities and conditions The weather is likely to be warm and sunny during the day (around 20 - 24 Celsius) but it will be cold at night (0 to 10 Celsius) and it is likely to feel cold in the early mornings and evenings. There is unlikely to be much rain if any.  Water temperatures are likely to be around 19 - 23 Celsius. 230V electricity is available at many of the camps.  You will need a South African plug adaptor since they use 3 large round pin plugs.  In Mozambique the electricity is 220V and they mostly use the same plugs as the South Africans.  If you need to contact home or friends when on expeditions you should be able to use your normal mobile phone although reception is very patchy in the various reserves. Changing to an MTN sim card in South Africa generally gives you the best coverage.  There is no internet access at most of the sites, so it is best to tell your friends and family that you will mainly be out of touch during the expeditions.