At 57,000 acre, Manyoni is one of the largest privately-owned game reserves in KwaZulu-Natal. It was formed in 2004 from a strategic partnership between the WWF, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and 17 landowners who committed to conservation and dropped their fences to create one protected wilderness area in Zululand.
Manyoni has over 70 mammal species, including all the Big 5, cheetah, giraffe, zebra, hyena, blue wildebeest, kudu and other smaller antelope. Sitting at 434 recorded species, Manyoni is one of the best birding spots in South Africa, with special varieties including the pink-throated Twinspot, Green Twinspot, African Broadbill, Rudds Apalis and Neergards Sunbird.
The reserve includes diverse habitats, from rolling grasslands to steep rocky hills, savannah thornveld and riverine forests. These varied landscapes provide habitat for a range of indigenous flore and fauna, with their protection considered as part of the management of the reserve.
