Mjejane River Lodge

The lodge sits in a beautiful spot on the banks of the Crocodile River, and the service was impeccable. Staff were welcoming, pleasant, and always smiling. Meals were simple but excellent. Special thanks to Happiness, the duty menager, and Boni, her colleague at reception. Mr. December was a superb guide who taught us so much on our safari outings. We thank him warmly.

Our stay at Mjejane River Lodge was a nightmare from the start. The place felt deeply unprofessional and disrespectful, and what should have been a relaxing safari turned into a distressing experience. The safari was awful. Our guide seemed utterly lost, driving in slow circles for hours through empty bush without a plan. We saw no elephants, lions, leopards, or buffalos. We pointed out every faint movement ourselves while he focused on trees, termite mounds, and elephant dung. It was a waste of time, money, and patience, and became painfully boring and embarrassing. Later, we learned the reserve isn't actually in Kruger National Park and is fully fenced, so animals cannot enter. To us, that made the business feel fraudulent and robbed hardworking guests and families of money and happiness. I hope no child has their dreams shattered here. The website's photos of lions and leopards seem misleading since, as we understood it, those animals do not and cannot live near the property. Its Big Five claim struck us as completely untrue. We mostly saw piles of poop and the occasional distant warthog. I've seen more wildlife at my lake house in rural Georgia than on this safari in South Africa. It felt like an insult to guests booking in good faith. Management made things worse. When we raised our concerns, general manager Johan Coetz screamed and swore at us for hours. We found his behavior hostile, abusive, and threatening, and felt so unsafe that we called nearly every other lodge we could find in the Kruger area to try to leave early. We also felt he treated the staff terribly. After researching him, we found serious legal allegations, including sexual assault, attempted murder, and harassment. A court filing reportedly says Johan sexually harassed 10 of his black female staff at the lodge; only 2 survivors have come forward with specific details because of his intimidation and manipulation. The atmosphere felt toxic, with staff visibly frightened, chaotic service, and disgraceful management. I believe this establishment should not be allowed to operate. Don't make the mistake we did. Save your money, sanity, and safety. This felt like a fraudulent business posing as a safari lodge.

When you need fresh forest air and want to see game from a Safari vehicle, this is a good bush outing. Mjejane River Lodge is along the N4 in Hectospruit, connected to the Kruger National Park.

We've enjoyed holidays at Mjejane for about five years, and it's a family favourite we look forward to visiting every year. We've only stayed in the hotel and River Lodges, so I can't speak to the Bush Lodges. The private splash pools are great for relaxing on the patio with a drink and watching wildlife, whether it's across the Crocodile river in the Kruger or the buck, birds, and elephants that come right up to the patio. The Game Rangers are lovely and offer great daily game drives that can be pre-booked. The location also makes it easy to go into the Kruger for a day visit.