#1Buffelsdrift Eco Ambassador Program | South Africa

Volunteering was an incredible experience! I was able to learn a lot about conservation and what it takes to keep everything running smoothly. I learned a lot about the local species and got to see them quite often. Everyone on the project is super friendly and welcoming,I felt right at home, and they were always looking out for our well-being! I definitely recommend this project to anyone who’s interested.

An incredible and deeply enriching experience. I learned so much about South Africa as a whole and about Buffelsdrift’s commitment and work. I felt useful every single moment. This experience has changed me for the better. I am leaving with countless memories and a new perspective on the world. I spent three weeks here, and the time flew by. I am sad to have to leave. A special thank you to Tiaan for his kindness, care, patience, teaching, and for taking the time to ensure that our stay was as enjoyable as possible. Thank you to the entire Buffelsdrift team for their warm welcome and kindness. I will never forget this incredible experience.

I had the opportunity to spend a week volunteering at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge, and I absolutely loved the experience. It was simply incredible! Everyone on the team was extremely kind, welcoming, and always willing to help. They made sure that we had a great time by varying the tasks and activities, which kept the experience interesting and rewarding throughout the week. As a huge animal lover, this volunteer program was truly a dream come true. I got to see all the animals I had hoped to see, including cheetahs, lions, elephants, and many more. Being able to get so close to these magnificent animals and experience nature in such an authentic way was unforgettable. A special mention goes to Tiaan, the coordinator, who is an amazing person. He is always approachable, attentive, and genuinely cares about making sure everyone has the best possible experience. He is happy to answer any questions and shares his knowledge with great enthusiasm. His dedication and positive attitude played a huge part in making this experience so memorable. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who loves nature and animals. It is an experience I will never forget and a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life.

It was an amazing experience, the reserve and the animals are beautiful, and the people were so kind and receptive. I had a lot of fun during the work days and in the activities during the days off...

The Buffelsdrift Volunteer program was an incredible experience, with wonderful people and so many new experiences. I learned a lot in my time there and had so much fun working with the team and helping with all the conservation work.

We loved it to be at Buffelsdrift. We especially liked the work around the lions, it is special to get the opportunity to come that close to wild animals. It was also wonderful to be part of the Buffelsdrift family for a while. One of us was here for the thirth time, that gives an idea about how nice it is to do the volunteer program.

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Ein wirklich grosses Abenteuer. Jeden Tag hat man etwas neues erlebt. Sei es den Kindern an der Schule zu helfen, sei es den Tieren zu helfen oder zu schauen, dass es dem Reserve gut geht. Tiaan und die anderen sind einfach richtige Herzensmenschen, sie halfen Tag und Nacht, sodass es mir und den anderen an nichts fehlte. Eins sollte aber im vorhinein klar sein, die Arbeit die man macht ist koerperlich nicht zu unterschaetzen. Man muss richtig mit anpacken.Wenn man damit kein Problem hat, kann man hier sehr wertvolle Erfahrungen sammeln. Mein Highlight war es all die Tiere zu sehen und diesen zu helfen.Man erlebt alles viel naeher als wenn nur zu Gast bei der Buffelsdrift Lodge ist. All in All ich wuerde es immer wieder und wuensche dem Team, den Tieren und der gesamten Lodge nur das Beste. :)

🌿 Eco Ambassadors Review for Buffelsdrift Lodge 🌿 Buffelsdrift Lodge has truly been a home away from home for us. From the moment we arrived, we were made to feel so welcome and cared for. ✨ Special shout out to Tiaan, who looked after us like we were his own — his humour, kindness, and “Tiaan-isms” are unforgettable. ✨ To Sinna, our mum away from home, thank you for cooking, cleaning, and making sure we were always comfortable. ✨ And to the wonderful guides Monique, Henry, Juan, Kayla, and Tiaan’s dad Chris — your knowledge, warmth, and passion made every experience so meaningful. Every interaction felt personal and heartfelt. It wasn’t just about seeing wildlife, but about learning and appreciating Africa’s beauty on a deeper level. Visiting the local school and meeting the little ones was also such a highlight — memories we’ll carry forever. This is an intimate, authentic experience where you don’t just pass through Africa, you connect with it. The only negative? That we couldn’t stay longer. Highly recommend. Thank you Buffelsdrift Lodge for everything. 💚 From, Sammie

Coming to Buffesldrift Game Lodge, I wasn't sure what to expect as I had never done a volunteering program before. However, my expectations were soon surpassed as I had the best month of my life. From Siena's delicious meals and hospitality (she became like a second mum to us), to Tiaan's guidance and friendliness who made every activity fun and engaging for us, I truly felt part of the Buffelsdrift family. Getting to know more about all the guides and staff (including Tiaan, Juan, Kyla, Claudia, Mossie, Henry, Sonya, and Katherine) and joining them on the weekends for festivals, bowls tournaments, movie nights and other fun activities was truly a highlight for me as I have now expanded my friend group to incude an amazing group of people who have an unparalled passion for wildlife and conservation. Feeding the animals (rhinos, buffalos, zebra, hippos, elephants, lions etc.), preparing their meals, helping out in all the different projects Tiaan allowed us to take part in, visiting the local schools and meeting the sweetest kids; I truly cannot pick a favourite moment but if I had to choose, interacting with the elephants and watching them play every afternoon after work takes the crown. Thankyou Buffelsdrift for the best month of my life and I look forward to coming back soon. PRECISELY!

i loved the experience, having daily contact with the animals as a veterinary doctor was incredible! Making firends from different nations, all united for the comon good - humanity, animals, and nature - is something i will carry with me forever. The support was fantastic, and the volunteer cordinator is truly a remarkable person with a kind heart! I will definitely take only good memorien from here.

It was great to work with the animals, doing the food preperation and all the other things to do. Also the whole staff was super. I think I will come back some time. Thank you very much for this experiance!

I really feel privileged to have been part of the volunteering project here at Buffelsdrift. I was not expecting such a rich and amazing wildlife. Every day was different and rewarding. With the animals. With the beautiful scenery. With the staff and all the people of the reserve. You were so helpful and kind, and so passionate about conservation, it was striking and humbling to see the dedication of everyone and I felt honored to be at the team's side and assist as much as a volunteer can. From feeding the animals to planting spekbooms, from attending the fences to cleaning the meat area, I was so happy to work hard, embrace each of the volunteer's daily tasks. Not withstanding exceptional tasks like helping out relocate cheetahs ! And in addition, getting to help also the community schools, bring some fun to the kids, I never thought I would like this much, and I am going to miss those adorable little children. It was more than I could have imagined. It was a wild and beautiful dream. Thank you all. Your are too many to be all named here, but as I will not forget all the wildlife here, I will remember each and everyone of you dearly.

I enjoyed my stay at Buffelsdrift very much! We had a lovely tent and I felt very home in our chilling area. Your motto in the kitchen "feel home far away from your home" is really authentic and true :) In general, I would really recommend a Volunteer Program at Buffelsdrift because besides the work during the day you have a lot of opportunities to join all the activities/bush drives at the reserve. I did several night drives and have been very many hours in the cheetah area to look for them xD The tasks that our guides delegated to us were very different and fun. We produced a lot of Speckboom buckets (indigenous plants for the guest to plant next to the road), we cleaned the water hole from the elephants, we prepared the day snack for the elephants, checked the electricity daily at the lions enclosure, fed the wild life animals (springbok, zebras, buffalos etc.) and many other tasks. We basically have seen every day a lot of wild life animals because we always drove through the reserve. Our guid Tiaan is blessed with a lot of patience and interesting knowledge about the animals and the environment. I really appreciated this because I had a lot of questions and it was for sure that he always could give an answer :) Thank you for that!

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Since I was young, my biggest dream was to become a veterinarian and work with wild animals. This volunteer program was the entrance to the beginning of this dream, because I was face to face with the animals and could help to take care of them.

When I decided to do a volunteer job with animals was by my brother influence, but I didn't imagine that would be such a unique experience. I spent 2 weeks and I never felt more closed with animals, I would definitely stay more if I knew how much I would love the experience!

I had a really good experience here at Buffelsdrift. I can say that all the 15 days I spent were busy and memorable. Although we really had some hard work, spending the days close to the animals, and also learning new things about them was really good. I can not forget to mention how nice and helpful were both Tiaan and Tanica.

If you want to do an amazing volunteer experience do not hesitate. I shared this adventure with my dad and it was perfect for both of us. Everybody here is really nice, they make you feel like you're part of the family. We learned a lot about animals, how to take care of them and how to protect the south African wildlife. Just go there and enjoy the best time of your life !

I had the chance to do this volunteer stay with my daughter. It was exactly what we were expecting : wildlife, great activities, beautiful moments helped with a great team of dedicated guides and employees ! This place is giving wonderful environment to animals and observing and serving them is a unique chance. Thanks to all !

Participating in the Eco-Ambassador program at Buffelsdrift was an absolutely incredible experience. Getting up close to different wild animals, spending time with the children at the local school and being part of conservation projects was always adventurous and fulfilling. Tanica, the guides and all staff members are amazing, they made us feel very welcome and took great care of the volunteers. If you are in love with nature and wildlife and are looking for an unforgettable experience, I highly recommend this program. I am very grateful for the people I have met and the memories I have collected and will treasure them forever.

I really enjoyed the time here. We did a variety of tasks so that it never became boring. It was great to do something completely different from the daily life. For me, it was super interesting to get so close to the animals and learn a lot of new facts about them. It is something totally different to see what is behind the things you get to know as a normal tourist. All in all, I would say that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and a fantastic experience that I will never forget.