The Vhembe Biosphere Reserve is part of a network of 727 UNESCO registered Biosphere Reserves across the globe and one of 10 in South Africa, of which three are in Limpopo. The VBR is one of the largest biosphere reserve in South Africa, with a surface area of 30 700 km, it stretches from the Shingwedzi river in the KNP to Crooks Corner in the north, bordering the Limpopo River all the way across to Mapungubwe National Park and the Mogalakwena River in the west, down to the Blouberg-Makgabeng and Soutpansberg mountain range in the south.
KM OF LAND UNDER VBR
UNDERSTANDING THE VBR
"Biosphere reserves are ‘learning places for sustainable development’. They are sites for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems, including conflict prevention and management of biodiversity." UNESCO
The definition of development in the context of a Biosphere is to “foster economic development, which is socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable.”
The Reserve has a remarkable diversity of ecosystems, species and cultural resources. It includes part of the Kruger National Park, the Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage site as well as part of two trans-frontier parks. The Soutpansberg is recognized as a centre of endemism and a centre of biodiversity and forms part of one of the priority areas for conservation in SA. From East to West the Vhembe Biosphere is every adventurers dream.