Grootvadersbosch Conservancy

The Grootvadersbosch valley is home to fynbos, Afromontane forest and renosterveld (which is critically endangered).

WE STRUCTURED OURSELVES – AND REGISTERED – AS A NON-PROFIT TRUST, PROMOTING CONSERVATION ON PRIVATE LAND IN GROOTVADERBOSCH.

And today we have 19 members (landowners), covering an area of 35, 000 hectares in the Grootvadersbosch valley
(in the Overberg and Eden District Municipalities). We’re neighbours to the CapeNature-managed
​Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve and Boosmansbos Wilderness Area. You’ll find three registered stewardship sites in our conservancy.

Members of the conservancy are long-standing commercial farmers who care about the lands’ agricultural and conservation value. We work together to keep these mutually-dependant elements in harmony. We have the HIGHEST percentage of jersey cows outside of the UK, we also undertake various other stock farming (sheep, Fleckvieh dairy, beef cattle, goats, buffalo), as well as wheat. Most of our milk goes for cheese production because of the very high butter fat content.

Our members receive considerable benefits from being part of the conservancy including financial assistance for alien clearing, tourism promotion, assistance with fire planning and collaboration in firefighting, and collective benefits from centralised security cameras.