Share our Love of the Bushveld

About Idube

Our History

Forty-two years ago in 1983, the Marais family purchased Idube Game Reserve in the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve and chose the beautiful and isolated site amongst gorgeous large rocks and overlooking a dry but occasionally running riverbed to build their camp. Idube was named after the Shangaan word for ‘zebra’.

Initially the family’s sole accommodation was a caravan with no available water or electricity and their most common visitors was a family of giant-plated lizards living in the clefts of nearby boulders. Over the years, the camp—once only a destination for family and close friends—evolved to the commercial lodge it now is, while still maintaining the intimate and welcoming atmosphere that many of our guests comment on today.

Idube as a business was set up in 1989, with Sally Kernick joining Louis and Marilyn Marais as one of the directors. She led all the marketing efforts in the early days, accompanied groups, bought the food and cooked for them.  She even had to drive a Landrover to fetch guest after walks and only knew one road, called Sally’s Road, for good reason. Sally has been well known in the travel industry for her outgoing, friendly and positive nature, and has assisted the Idube team through many trials and tribulations over the years. Sally has now happily retired.

In terms of the environment, Idube Game Reserve was one of the first lodges in the Sabi Sands to focus on water sustainability, building a wetland to recycle this much-needed resource. We also buy locally whenever we can and support South African art and clothing in our curio shop. Our staff are hired, whenever possible, from our local communities and we pride ourselves on treating people—both staff and guests—extremely well, looking after them in the best way we can. We believe in hiring on merit and do not discriminate based on gender or race. We’ve also been proud to train young people just starting their careers, and family members have also passed the Idube baton on from one generation to another. And we even have a claim to fame when it comes to romance. We know of at least five couples who met working at Idube and are happily married today!

All those years ago, Louis and Marilyn Marais bought Idube out of a complete passion for the bush, which they wished to instil in their children. And now eight grandchildren are blessed to know and love the oasis of Idube and the graceful nyala that live there. As a family, we put conservation first. We do not want to overburden our land and do our best to protect the fauna and flora that inhabit this breathtaking place so we can share it with our guests. We hope to instil in them the same love of the bush that we have. And, judging by the sheer number of returning guests, we think we have.

An extensive upgrade was completed in June 2025, and this big project was taken on by members of the family covering three generations, so the legacy continues! Not only that, but a total of 100-120 other hard working people, including permanent lodge staff, construction staff from Jo’burg, many sub-contractors and their teams and many members of the local community contributed their efforts to the project (and received new skills as they went). Carl Marais (who with his wife and business partner, Nicola were in charge of the construction project) has recently been appointed director, and will continue to contribute to the future of this amazing place which is so close to Louis and Marilyn’s hearts.

*Bushveld: sub-tropical woodland ecological region of Southern Africa, with scrubby vegetation.