About Us

It is our privilege to be stewards of more than 3 300 hectares of the breathtaking Moolmanshoek valley. The Witteberg Mountains surround the valley in the shape of a horseshoe (with Visierskerf peaking at 2407m above sea level) feeding several mountain streams in the valley floor below. This basin is home to a variety of game that include Springbuck, Black Wildebeest, Blesbuck, Zebra, Eland, Gemsbok and many others that are historically indigenous to the area. More than 230 bird species can be seen in the reserve, while a wide variety of plants grow on the mountain slopes and in the beautiful wooded ravines.
Under the skilled hands and vision of the owner, Willie Nel, the once productive farm was transformed and developed into a game reserve and conservation area. It was later declared a private nature reserve.

You are invited to visit us and revel in the breathtaking natural beauty and tranquillity; the rich variety of wildlife, flora and birdlife in an unspoiled mountain environment. Explore the reserve on horseback, go walking alongside streams and dams, or enjoy fly-fishing in clear spring water. Follow one of our two hiking trails or various day walks and renew your mind and soul. Challenge yourself with abseiling, high ropes, a 4X4 drive or climbing one of the peaks.

Family history

The name Moolmanshoek originated from the first owner of the Moolmanshoek valley. His name was Mr Petrus Lafras Moolman. The Moolman surname is derived from the Meuleman last name. In 1743 Pieter Meuleman arrived in South Africa as a soldier in the service of the Oost Indishce Compagne. He later became a “burger” of Stellenbosch, marrying a local girl by the name of Catharine Elisabeth Swart on 17 November, 1748.
The Moolmans from Graaf Reinett moved to Moolmanshoek in 1829. The Moolmans had discovered the valley on hunting trips made earlier on route from their temporary home in the South Eastern Free State. The original Moolman farm covered almost the whole valley, approximately 6800 hectares. The farm was later divided between the four sons. In June 1869 the first maps of the farm were drawn by KJ de Kok. The owners at that time were:

AJ Moolman (Andries Johannes)
JL Moolman
CL Moolman (Christaan Lodewikus) † Ficksburg Married – Maria Amerentia Cronje
PL Moolman (Petrus Lafras) Married to Isabella Elsie Georgina Moolman

The sons who later inherited the top part of the valley, known today as Moolmanshoek, put it up for sale when their father passed away in 1904. A Mr Thomas Mitchell, well known businessman and farmer of the area, bought Moolmanshoek for his 17 year old son Ernst on 11 June 1905. Ernst later married Dora Musgrave. The two of them built the main sandstone house during 1928-1933 at the cost of £8 000.
Ernst Mitchell died in 1956. For the next five years Moolmanshoek was leased to a Mr Muller before it was put on auction by a bank in Ficksburg. Mr Hendrik Erasmus (married to Hester du Plessis) from Hofmeyer was the highest bidder. Since the offer was too low, an agreement was made whereby Mr Erasmus could rent the farm (for a maximum of ten years) with the option to buy the land. After renting the farm for seven years, he bought Moolmanshoek in 1968.
Hendrik and Hester had only one child, a daughter named Miemie. She married Willie Nel from Smithfield in March 1972. The couple moved to Moolmanshoek in January 1973. In 1980, Willie bought Moolmanshoek from his father-in-law, in doing so becoming the fourth owner of Moolmanshoek. It was under Willie and Miemie’s stewardship that Moolmanshoek was transformed to the piece of paradise it is today. The adjacent farms, Langesnek (where the Leadership centre is situated) and Waterkloof were also later purchased and added to Moolmanshoek. Willie and Miemie have three children, Hester, Isabel and Wiesman. Today Moolmanshoek is managed as a family business.

Natural heritage

The Moolmanshoek Private Nature Reserve lies in the Witteberg mountain range which roughly runs in a north-south direction between Ficksburg and Bethlehem. The upper parts of these mountains (above 2000 meters) consist of Drakensberg basalt, a volcanic rock. The basalt is clearly visible where cliffs were formed on the higher peaks, notably on Visierskerf, at 2407meter, the highest peak in the mountain range. Below the basalt lies the Clarens Sandstone, a relatively soft rock formation. This was deposited before the basalt outflow as sand dunes during a very dry period in the earth’s history. The sandstone forms interesting and beautiful topographical features like caves, deep ravines, waterfalls, rock pools and strange shapes.

The flora in the Reserve is typical of the Eastern Free State highlands mountain environment, with a variety of trees, shrubs, herbs, succulents and climbers growing on the mountain slopes and in the ravines. The plains are dominated by grasses and sedges. Dominant trees and shrubs are the ouhout (Leucosidea sericea), ghwarrie (Euclea crispa), sagewood (Buddleia salvivolia), Cape myrtle (Myrsine africana) dogwood/blinkblaar (Rhamnus prinoides) and a few fynbos species. Scarcer species from this area, like the sugarbush protea (Protea caffra) mountain kiepersol (Cussonia paniculata), red hairy heath (Erica cerinthoides), mountain bamboo (Thamnocalamus thessellatus) and the scarce cat’s claw (Harveya capensis) also grow in the reserve. Because of the presence of these scarce species (notably the mountain bamboo), and the good state of conservation, the reserve was declared a South African Natural Heritage Site (No 199) in 1994.

A wide variety of wild animals roam the plains and mountain slopes of the reserve. Game species like black wildebeest, red hartebeest, springbuck, blesbuck, zebra, steenbok, mountain rhebuck, eland and gemsbok roam the reserve, while some of the other common residents are black-backed jackal, caracal, porcupine, mongoose and meerkats. More than 230 bird species have been recorded in the reserve, with some of these aviators being the black eagle, jackal buzzard, bald ibis, grey heron, redbilled woodhoopoo, rameron pigeon and eagle owl. There are many farm dams and large marshy areas in the reserve, attracting a wide variety of aquatic birds.