The Ranch Resort
Encyclopedia
The Ranch Resort is a family-owned leisure, sports, exhibition, conservation, accommodation and conferencing centre within the 1000 hectares (2,471.1 acre) Ranch Conservancy located in the Capricorn District
of the Limpopo Province, 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) south of Polokwane
- the capital city of the Limpopo Province - in South Africa
.It is adjacent to the Makapansgat
Valley, an archaeologically significant area that has produced fossils and bones that signify early hominid presence in Limpopo
and forms part of Gauteng’s Cradle of Humankind
World Heritage site
.
The Ranch Resort is known for its Lions and the "Walk with Lions" experience.
A 12 hole par 3 - Executive Golf Course
was officially opened in May 2010 by the Premier of Limpopo Province, Mr Cassel Mathale.
(then Rhodesia
) and South Africa. As the establishment became better known, it developed into a leisure and conference resort, now known as The Ranch Resort.
On 22 May 2010 the Shearer family, owners of The Ranch Resort, celebrated 50 years in hospitality at a special function where The Premier of Limpopo Province, Mr Cassel Mathale, officially opened The Ranch Resort 12-hole, par-3 Executive Golf Course and Academy. VIP guests included the South African Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Ms Maite Nkoana Mashabane who gave the keynote address, and Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.
. The Ranch Resort offers visitor attractions in its own right, featuring daily activities like “Walk with Lions”, horseback safaris, game drives, lion tours, golf, eco-tourism and sports activities.
; zebra
; warthog
; kudu
; impala
; wildebeest
; and over 200 bird species. Active in wildlife rehabilitation
since the 1960s, when organised conservation was in its infancy, The Ranch Resort continually offers shelter for orphaned or injured wildlife which cannot be released into the wild. Providing a safe haven for lions and other Big 5
animals from Zimbabwe which were under threat at a time of political and social instability.
, King Solomon's Mines
, Incident at Victoria Falls
, The Lion Child (1993 film), The Ghost and the Darkness
, Pride. The current lions and their forebears have appeared in a total of over 400 international movies, documentaries and commercials. Resident animal trainer and handler Vivian “Viv” Bristow has extensive movie credits.
one of the three Pappas brothers and five times Sunshine Tour
event winner.
The Limpopo Province Premier, The Honourable Cassel Mathale performed the official opening on 22 May 2010 as part of The Ranch Resort celebrations of 50 years in hospitality. Mr Mathale said “Our province is home to some of the best luxurious wildlife golf estate resorts in the country and the African continent as a whole. It is on this note that we are correctly regarded as a tourist province in the country. We are counting on the Ranch Hotel and other organisations to join hands with government in the development of the game of golf.”
The Hotel offers deluxe facilities including fine dining. It was granted the Professional Management Review magazine (PMR) Golden Arrow in 2009 in the Executive Hotel category.
, the Republic of South Africa's capital city and 24.5 kilometres (15.2 mi) south of Polokwane, the capital of Limpopo Province. It is situated between the South African National Highway N1 and the R101 - with entrances to The Ranch Resort from both roads. It has its own airstrip.
Capricorn District Municipality
Capricorn is one of the 6 districts of Limpopo province of South Africa. The district is named after the Tropic of Capricorn which runs through it. The seat of Capricorn is Polokwane. The majority of its 1 154 673 people speak Northern Sotho...
of the Limpopo Province, 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) south of Polokwane
Polokwane
Polokwane, meaning "Place of Safety",is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former name, Pietersburg. Polokwane is a major urban centre, the biggest and most important north of Gauteng. The population...
- the capital city of the Limpopo Province - in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.It is adjacent to the Makapansgat
Makapansgat
Makapansgat is an archeological location within the Makapansgat and Zwartkrans Valleys, northeast of Mokopane in Limpopo province, South Africa. It is an important paleontological site, with the local limeworks containing Australopithecus-bearing deposits dating to between 3.0 and 2.6 million years...
Valley, an archaeologically significant area that has produced fossils and bones that signify early hominid presence in Limpopo
Limpopo
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. The capital is Polokwane, formerly named Pietersburg. The province was formed from the northern region of Transvaal Province in 1994, and initially named Northern Transvaal...
and forms part of Gauteng’s Cradle of Humankind
Cradle of Humankind
The Cradle of Humankind is a World Heritage Site first named by UNESCO in 1999, about 50 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa in the Gauteng province. This site currently occupies ; it contains a complex of limestone caves, including the Sterkfontein Caves, where the 2.3-million...
World Heritage site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
The Ranch Resort is known for its Lions and the "Walk with Lions" experience.
A 12 hole par 3 - Executive Golf Course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
was officially opened in May 2010 by the Premier of Limpopo Province, Mr Cassel Mathale.
History
The Shearer family established The Ranch in May 1960 initially as a stopover for people travelling between ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
(then Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
) and South Africa. As the establishment became better known, it developed into a leisure and conference resort, now known as The Ranch Resort.
On 22 May 2010 the Shearer family, owners of The Ranch Resort, celebrated 50 years in hospitality at a special function where The Premier of Limpopo Province, Mr Cassel Mathale, officially opened The Ranch Resort 12-hole, par-3 Executive Golf Course and Academy. VIP guests included the South African Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Ms Maite Nkoana Mashabane who gave the keynote address, and Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.
Tourism
The Ranch Resort's geographical position is convenient for travellers visiting or passing through Polokwane and the Limpopo Province as it is centrally situated within the province. Limpopo offers many tourism attractions from mountains, forests, the Kruger National Park, private game reserves, and historical heritage attractions like the neighbouring Makapansgat Valley World Heritage siteWorld Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. The Ranch Resort offers visitor attractions in its own right, featuring daily activities like “Walk with Lions”, horseback safaris, game drives, lion tours, golf, eco-tourism and sports activities.
Conservation
The Ranch Resort stands in a 1000 hectare nature conservancy, comprising grasslands and bushveld and is home to, amongst other wildlife; lions; giraffeGiraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
; zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
; warthog
Warthog
The Warthog or Common Warthog is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past it was commonly treated as a subspecies of P...
; kudu
Kudu
The kudus are two species of antelope of the genus Tragelaphus:*Lesser Kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis*Greater Kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros- Etymology :...
; impala
Impala
An impala is a medium-sized African antelope. The name impala comes from the Zulu language meaning "gazelle"...
; wildebeest
Wildebeest
The wildebeest , also called the gnu is an antelope of the genus Connochaetes. It is a hooved mammal...
; and over 200 bird species. Active in wildlife rehabilitation
Wildlife rehabilitation
Wildlife rehabilitation is the process of removing from the wild and caring for injured, orphaned, or sick wild animals. The goal of wildlife rehabilitation is to provide the food, housing and medical care of these animals, returning them to the wild after treatment.-Process:Rehabilitation begins...
since the 1960s, when organised conservation was in its infancy, The Ranch Resort continually offers shelter for orphaned or injured wildlife which cannot be released into the wild. Providing a safe haven for lions and other Big 5
Big Five game
The phrase Big Five game was coined by white hunters and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot. The term is still used in most tourist and wildlife guides that discuss African wildlife safaris. The collection consists of the lion, African elephant, cape buffalo,...
animals from Zimbabwe which were under threat at a time of political and social instability.
Lions
The Ranch Resort is home to over 30 lions, many of which have been groomed for human interaction and use in movies.Walking with Lions
In addition to horseback safaris and game drives, an annual government licence permits rare initiatives such as the “Walk with Lions” experience, a major tourist attraction in Limpopo Province. The lions also feature in educational outreach programmes, including initiatives aimed at facilitating close contact with wildlife for groups such as young people, the handicapped and visually handicapped.Lions in Movies
Previous generations of The Ranch Resort lion prides have starred in movies including The Gods Must Be CrazyThe Gods Must Be Crazy
The Gods Must Be Crazy is a 1980 film, written and directed by Jamie Uys. The film is the first in The Gods Must Be Crazy series of films. Set in Botswana and South Africa, it tells the story of Xi, a Sho of the Kalahari Desert whose band has no knowledge of the world beyond...
, King Solomon's Mines
King Solomon's Mines (1985 film)
King Solomon's Mines is a 1985 action and adventure film loosely based on the novel King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard. It stars Richard Chamberlain, Sharon Stone, Herbert Lom and John Rhys-Davies. It was adapted by Gene Quintano and James R. Silke and directed by J. Lee Thompson...
, Incident at Victoria Falls
Incident at Victoria Falls (1991 TV film)
Incident at Victoria Falls was the second and final film in the proposed series of television films Sherlock Holmes the Golden Years written by Bob Shayne. It starred Christopher Lee and Patrick Macnee as Holmes and Watson in old age...
, The Lion Child (1993 film), The Ghost and the Darkness
The Ghost and the Darkness
The Ghost and the Darkness is a 1996 adventure film starring Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer set in Africa at the end of the 19th century.It was directed by Stephen Hopkins and the screenplay was written by William Goldman....
, Pride. The current lions and their forebears have appeared in a total of over 400 international movies, documentaries and commercials. Resident animal trainer and handler Vivian “Viv” Bristow has extensive movie credits.
Eco Tourism
The Ranch Resort is licensed to allow close contact with its animals. Under the supervision of specialist rangers, visitors can walk with the lions and watch cubs at play or being bottle-fed. Horseback safaris have become a mainstay of animal-contact eco-tourism at this venue, offering visitors close-up encounters with giraffe, zebra, warthog, impala, kudu and wildebeest. There are over 200 species of birds on the property.Executive Golf Course and Academy
In 2003 it was estimated that the economic impact of golf and golf-related spending in the province amounted to R 219 million per annum. To capitalise on the growing demand for executive golf facilities, The Ranch Resort developed a 12 hole par 3 Executive golf course and academy The Golf Course development was designed to harmonise with the natural bushveld surroundings. The resident Golf Pro is Sean PappasSean Pappas
Sean Critton Pappas is a professional golfer from South Africa.-Early life:Pappas was born in Phalaborwa, South Africa. He is the oldest of three brothers who are also professional golfers. Deane and Brenden . Both of his brothers have played previously in South Africa, but they reside currently...
one of the three Pappas brothers and five times Sunshine Tour
Sunshine Tour
The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
event winner.
The Limpopo Province Premier, The Honourable Cassel Mathale performed the official opening on 22 May 2010 as part of The Ranch Resort celebrations of 50 years in hospitality. Mr Mathale said “Our province is home to some of the best luxurious wildlife golf estate resorts in the country and the African continent as a whole. It is on this note that we are correctly regarded as a tourist province in the country. We are counting on the Ranch Hotel and other organisations to join hands with government in the development of the game of golf.”
Accommodation
Situated at The Ranch Resort is Protea Hotel The Ranch, a four-star hotel with over 100 en suite and air-conditioned rooms, presidential and executive suites, self-catering chalets and an outdoor experience tented camp option for eco-tourism and team-building set in the natural bush.The Hotel offers deluxe facilities including fine dining. It was granted the Professional Management Review magazine (PMR) Golden Arrow in 2009 in the Executive Hotel category.
Conferences
The Ranch Resort has facilities for large and compact conferences and is host to local government, eco-tourism, conservation and commercial conferences. It was granted the Professional Management Review magazine (PMR) 2009 Golden Arrow award for excellence in convention/conference centres.Weddings
The Ranch Resort has its own non-denominational chapel, set in a Rose Garden as a wedding venue for traditional or themed weddings.Government Recognition
The Ranch Resort's role in attracting eco-tourism to the Province has been given recognition by the Limpopo Provincial government and the government of South Africa. On 22 May 2010, South African Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, accompanied by the Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, gave the keynote address at the resort's 50th anniversary celebrations, during which she paid tribute to its many developments which have contributed to tourism growth. The Minister said “I have been part of this journey in so many ways, and I am really honoured to launch this 50th Anniversary year. I remember the elephants and the lions coming from Zimbabwe to live at The Ranch Resort … the opening of the bush camp … the development of the Ranch Conservancy and the introduction of 23 species of wild animals... the construction of the new conference venues. And now, this evening, we have all been privileged to be present at the birth of the Executive Golf Course and Academy.”Location
The Ranch Resort is 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) north of PretoriaPretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, the Republic of South Africa's capital city and 24.5 kilometres (15.2 mi) south of Polokwane, the capital of Limpopo Province. It is situated between the South African National Highway N1 and the R101 - with entrances to The Ranch Resort from both roads. It has its own airstrip.