Eastern Cape Game Reserves
Rare zebras, aloes, game farms, mohair, heritage and hospitality beats at the heart of Chris Hani. The Chris Hani district – the geographical heart of the Eastern Cape – is characterised by a changing topography that slopes down from the southern Drakensberg Mountains and crosses the eastern grasslands to the Karoo. It is named after assassinated freedom fighter Chris Hani and it offers game reserves, rock art, fossils, farmstays, heritage and agriculture.
Key towns pegging this district are Cradock, Middelburg, Queenstown, Elliot and Cofimvaba. The second-largest of the districts, Chris Hani, it is largely rural with one urban area around Queenstown-Lukhanji .The Friendly N6 tourism route winds southwards through the district while the eerily beautiful Karoo Heartland straddles it.
Key tourism gems include the Mountain Zebra National Park near Cradock, one of South Africa’s great conservation success stories.
The longest known gallery of San rock paintings in South Africa exists on the Denorbin farm between Barkly East and Elliot and the Ruth Lock Shell Art Gallery in Queenstown displays one woman’s lifework in the form of intricate shell sculptures.
“Stop over” tourism is serviced by guesthouses and farmstays.