About the farm
The farm lies approximately 20km North-West of Ellisras (Lephalale). Historically Grootgenoeg was a cattle farm only. Due to the abundance of game in the area the farm was later fenced in for conservation purposes. The infrastructure that was developed over the years for cattle farming has been removed to a large extent. A cattleman’s cottage has been upgraded to accommodate guests in a comfortable though rustic environment.
Rarely seen animal species occur on the farm such as the honey badger, the cheetah, leopard and this pangolin..
Vegetation and Topography
The farm is situated within a semi-arid region, with an average annual rainfall of around 400 mm. Droughts are periodic and recurrent, and temperatures range from zero to over 40 degrees celsius. Inconsistent rainfall and extreme temperatures result in variability in annual plant production and therefore in available fodder. The carrying capacity, therefore, fluctuates from season to season. Soils range from light, coarse-sandy to red loams with relatively higher clay content. Vegetation ranges from rooibos dominated veld at higher elevations on coarse, shallower soils. Rosyntjiebos, corkwood (kanniedood), huilboom, geelhaak are other important species, with witgat one of the very few species to maintain its leaves through the dry season. On the reddish sandy soils, knoppiesdoring and hardekool are more common while rooibos diminishes in abundance. Sekelbos is present. Given the flat topography, the vegetation is relatively homogeneous with no randjiesveld, riverine, koppies etc.
