Our Story
A family farm near Kruger, lovingly brought back to life.
Family-managed by Anneli and Matthew. Welcoming guests since August 2025.
Chapter 1 · The Discovery
A waterfall, an old man, and a farm that found us back.
Anneli had spent years travelling — more than thirty countries, an Argentine vineyard that nearly happened, the long traveller’s search for somewhere to settle. The afternoon Matthew took her to a waterfall on a farm he knew — his birthday, the long sundown, the drinks at the water’s edge — he mentioned, almost in passing, that the place was for sale.
The next day we drove in. There was no gate. We walked the land — the forty-year-old mango grove, the cold river running through even in summer, the bushveld stretching to the horizon — and we saw, plainly, what nobody else had stopped to see. The old owner caught us on the way out. The day after that, we made an offer. He accepted. We bought Kanaan in August 2025.
Chapter 2 · The Promise
Reading every guest, listening to every story.
Before we ever picked up a paintbrush, we sat down and read every single review the farm had ever received — and we listened. Guests loved the wonderful views, the affordable prices, the genuine South African warmth they found here. The little things that needed attention, we wrote down.
And then we got to work — slowly, carefully, and with patience. The Kanaan you arrive at today is a place that has been loved back into shape, and a year from now it will be even more beautiful. We are not finished yet. We never quite will be.
Chapter 3 · The Land
A world of wonder, all within easy reach.
Land at Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in the morning and you could be sitting on our veranda by lunchtime. The Phabeni and Numbi gates of the world-famous Kruger National Park lie just 30 to 45 minutes away — perfect for an unhurried early-morning game drive in search of the legendary Big Five. Phabeni means shelterin Sotho, and feels like the warmest welcome to one of Africa's greatest wildlife destinations.
The misty mountain town of Sabie, with its breathtaking waterfalls, lies a short and scenic drive in one direction; the spectacular Panorama Route — God's Window, Bourke's Luck Potholes, the Three Rondavels — waits in the other.
Chapter 4 · The Welcome
From R250 per person sharing — and that is just the beginning.
Genuinely affordable, well below the regional average. Our comfortable self-catering lodge rooms have their own bathrooms and kitchenettes, perfect for families and couples alike. The simple twin rooms have two single beds and an en-suite, fairly priced and welcoming. The backpacker dorm has 8 beds and a sociable shared kitchen, and the peaceful campsites sit in the shade of forty-year-old mango trees with power and water at every pitch.
And if you would love a breakfast or dinner sorted while you are here, we will happily cook for you. A R60 continental breakfast in the morning, or a traditional South African dinner — local Lowveld dishes and a proper braai — in the evening, under the African sky. (We do not offer a halaal option.)
Chapter 5 · The Celebration
A wedding weekend that ends on a Sunday morning.
The most memorable weddings we have ever hosted are the ones that last more than a single day. Friday is for arriving — drinks under the lights, family and friends finding each other again, a rehearsal dinner that runs on its own gentle clock. Saturday is yours, the ceremony, the celebration, the dancing under the African sky. Sunday morning, no one is in a hurry — there is coffee, there is the last of the cake, and people drift home full of stories.
Kanaan holds up to 150 guests when we open the camping ground for the whole weekend. The same wonderful welcome awaits family reunions, milestone birthdays, school groups, corporate retreats and team building — a whole farm, lovingly sized to the event.
The wider farm
More than the lodge.
Kanaan sits on agricultural ground that runs out into bushveld long after the lodge ends. We are slowly bringing that land back into use — macadamia trees planted in rows, hiking and cycling routes opening up again, and in time, a quieter eco-camp on the further property.
Chapter 6 · The Future
We had a million ideas. Now we have a plan.
The wooden-house backpackers is nearly open. Our multi-day Kruger packages are live — build your own on the packages page. On-request breakfast and dinner are coming next. And the longer view — hiking and cycling routes across the wider farm, low-impact eco-camping on the further land — is taking shape, piece by piece, the way everything here gets built.
— Anneli & Matthew
Plan your African holiday
Peaceful nights, magical mornings, and Kruger on your doorstep.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling with you, and Anneli or Matthew will personally reply with warm availability and the right room or campsite for your trip.