Jaci’s Private Lodge officially reopened on 1 July in South Africa’s malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve, 16 months after severe flooding in late February 2025 forced the family-owned property to close. Once the insurance and planning processes were complete, the Van Heteren family embarked on an intensive 10-month building programme, creating a lodge designed for the decades ahead.

The official reopening follows a two-week soft launch with family, friends and travel trade partners, giving the returning team time to find its rhythm and the lodge time to settle into its new skin.