Madikwe Lodges Reopened: Jaci’s and Last Word Makanyane Return to the Marico River
Two well-known Madikwe lodges reopened on 1 July 2026, and both look over the same river. Jaci’s Private Lodge has been rebuilt after floods forced it to close in February 2025, and the former Makanyane Safari Lodge is back as Last Word Makanyane after a change of operator and a makeover. For anyone planning a malaria-free Big Five safari, their return adds real choice along the Marico River on the eastern side of the reserve.
Why Madikwe lodges suit a malaria-free safari
Madikwe Game Reserve lies in the far north of North West Province, right against the Botswana border and about 40 km from Gaborone. North West Parks puts it roughly three hours by road from Johannesburg and Pretoria. The reserve was announced in 1991, and South African Tourism notes that the idea came from economists who expected wildlife tourism to create more jobs than cattle. The relocation that followed, Operation Phoenix, moved more than 8,000 animals onto the land by 1997. With private land added since, the reserve now covers roughly 75,000 hectares.
Two rules shape how Madikwe feels on the ground. There are no day visitors: only guests staying at its lodges may enter, so the roads stay quiet and sightings are shared between a small number of vehicles. And the reserve sits outside South Africa’s malaria area, which is why families and travellers who would rather skip the tablets shortlist it alongside Pilanesberg. Our guide to a malaria free safari in South Africa compares it with the Eastern Cape, the Cape reserves and the Kalahari.
The animal people come for is often the African wild dog. According to Africa Geographic, wild dogs have done well here since their introduction in 1994, and the species is endangered across the continent. Makanyane even takes its name from them: it is the Tswana word for wild dog.
Jaci’s Private Lodge: rebuilt after the 2025 floods
Severe flooding in late February 2025 closed the family-owned lodge for about 16 months. Once insurance and planning were settled, the Van Heteren family ran a ten-month building programme, and the lodge reopened on 1 July 2026 after a two-week soft launch for friends and trade partners. Plenty of the old lodge went back in: the decking was sanded and reused, and furniture was cleaned, repaired and reconditioned, some of it more than once.
The layout is now built around flexibility. There are six Safari Suites for two, four Safari Suite Expeditions sleeping two adults and two children, two three-bedroom villas called Kubu and Nare for up to six, and Jaci’s Madikwe House, with five bedrooms for up to ten. Meals move between the main deck, the raised Thutlwa Deck and a boma above the Marico River, and Jan van Heteren’s own wine cellar is part of the evening.
The ownership story is worth knowing too. Jaci and Jan remain involved while their sons Tristan and Dane lead the next phase, and a staff trust owns 27.2% of the business, with long-serving staff able to become shareholders. The lodge runs on solar power, treats and reuses its water and grows vegetables on site. It also reports that a coalition of five cheetah brothers has returned to the plains near the lodge, which is welcome news for anyone hoping to see cheetah on a Madikwe safari.
Last Word Makanyane: eight suites with private river frontage
Makanyane sits on privately owned land on the eastern side of the reserve, about 20 minutes from the Eastern Airstrip. Its selling point is the river. Only a short stretch of the Marico flows through Madikwe, and the lodge has full frontage on it, with eight private suites facing the water. Since 1 July 2026 it has traded as Last Word Makanyane, with refreshed spaces and a new approach to hosting under the Last Word brand.
Because some of the land around the lodge can be reached only by its own vehicles, the team can set up bush dinners, nights on a star bed and private celebrations without other guests driving past. Last Word already knows the reserve: in 2023 it took over The Bush House, a five-suite lodge on the western side that began life as a family homestead on Wonderboom farm, and renamed it Last Word Madikwe Bush House.
Which of the two suits your trip
Families and groups will find more room at Jaci’s. The Expedition suites are designed for two adults with two children, and the villas and the five-bedroom house let a multi-generation party spread out under one roof. Couples, and friends travelling in pairs, who want a quieter lodge with private dinners by the river will lean towards Makanyane.
One practical point for families: Last Word’s own policy for Makanyane is that guests must be 12 or older, pay the adult rate and share suites at a maximum of two people each. Older third-party listings from before the rebrand still mention younger children, so go by the operator’s current terms. For a wider view of how Madikwe compares with the Sabi Sand, Phinda and Tswalu on access and transfer times, see our guide to choosing a luxury safari in South Africa.
When to go to Madikwe
Winter, the dry season, is the classic time for game viewing, because animals gather near water as the bush thins out. That is exactly when a lodge on a permanent river earns its keep: the lodge describes the Marico as flowing all year, so game has good reason to come down to it as the dry months wear on. Summer turns the reserve green and is the better season for birders.
Most visitors either fly in or drive the three to four hours from Johannesburg, depending on which side of the reserve they are staying. If you are flying, ask your lodge which airstrip it uses before you book the connecting flight. Both lodges sit on the Marico in the east of the reserve, and a short transfer from the strip can mean making the first afternoon drive on arrival day rather than watching it leave.
