Zandrivier Farm - our history and heritage

Zandrivier farm is in the Central Karoo mountains of the Klein Swartberg, between the N1 (Laingsburg) and the R62 (Ladismith). A mere 3.5-hour drive from Cape Town, Zandrivier Farm offers the silence of the Karoo, big African vistas, unending star-studded night skies and restoration for the soul.  A stroll around the farm’s pathways will introduce you to many sheep and lambs, or orchards and crop fields. There are still original ruins preserved on the farm which sits below the Elandsberg mountain range.

In March 2025, Jerry and Tracey realized their dream to return to the Karoo after many years’ sheep farming in Philadelphia, near Malmesbury. Sheep, crops, as well as various fruit orchards are farmed here. Zandrivier is an irrigation farm, boasting several dams that harvest the runoff from the Swartberg mountain range. ​Zandrivier is a working farm, with tractors ploughing and planting, and animals (wild and domestic and some in between) roaming freely.

Here and on the surrounding mountains can be found the rare Elandsbergia Opal butterfly, Kudu, Gemsbok, Grysbok, Rhebok, baboon, jackal, rock hyrax (dassies), aardwolf, leopard, genets, serval, lynx and klipspringer as well as shy riverine rabbits. Birdlife is prolific with yellow tailed kits, owls, black eagles and fish eagles amongst the predators, as well as the more timid sunbirds, coots, Cape pheasant and smaller species. 

We enjoy unrivalled starry nights, and snow in most winters.

Protea Aristata (endangered)

Zandrivier is home to many rare plant species and spectacular fynbos.  Protea variants include nitida, sulphurea, convexa, aristata, eximia and more. ​