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Right in South Africa's gourmet capital, walking distance to famous restaurants
Last Word Makanyane
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The Last word experience
Last Word Makanyane sits beside the ever-flowing Marico River, where the bush feels close and the pace shifts immediately. Wildlife moves through the riverine fringes, birds call from the canopy, and the view is never the same twice. With just eight private Luxury Suites, the lodge is intentionally small, giving guests space, hush, and a rare sense of seclusion. Each suite is generously sized and designed for watching: wide glass frontages look out over the water and surrounding vegetation, and even the en-suite bathrooms are positioned to take in the scene. Step outside onto your deck and settle into a lounger as the river passes by, or light the fireplace on cooler evenings for a warm, romantic glow. This is safari in a quieter key, where nature comes to you and time feels wonderfully unimportant.
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Plan your journey
Would you prefer we called you, just let us know with your details and Widad and Taryn from our reservations team would love to give you a call and help you plan your perfect trip. At Last Word Makanyane, Steve and Maryna are ready and waiting to welcome you to the ever flowing Marico River and share the quiet magic of this secluded safari sanctuary on private land.
Fly with Federal Airlines
We’ll arrange direct Federal Airlines flights from Johannesburg to the western airstrip, just minutes from camp, and stitch it seamlessly into your reservation. Enjoy special discounted fares for international guests, plus exceptionally low resident rates for South Africans when booking within a month of travel. Skip the long road; arrive rested and ready for your first game drive.
Subject to availability. Standard FedAir baggage rules apply.
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Rooms
Your Luxury Suite is spacious, private, and designed to bring the Marico River right into the room. A generous bedroom opens onto wide glass views of the water and surrounding riverine vegetation, with an en-suite bathroom also positioned for easy wildlife watching. Step out onto your private deck to relax between safari moments, then return to the warmth of a fireplace on cooler evenings. Our current images show the layout and sense of space, but Makanyane is being refreshed ahead of opening on 1 July. Expect updated décor and thoughtful finishing touches in the classic, characterful Last Word style, with the same comfort, warmth, and quiet sense of sanctuary that defines every stay with us.
Your Luxury Suite is spacious, private, and designed to bring the Marico River right into the room. A generous bedroom opens onto wide glass views of the water and surrounding riverine vegetation, with an en-suite bathroom also positioned for easy wildlife watching. Step out onto your private deck to relax between safari moments, then return to the warmth of a fireplace on cooler evenings. Our current images show the layout and sense of space, but Makanyane is being refreshed ahead of opening on 1 July. Expect updated décor and thoughtful finishing touches in the classic, characterful Last Word style, with the same comfort, warmth, and quiet sense of sanctuary that defines every stay with us.
Click on the play button below and have a virtual wander around the hotel at your own pace. If there's anything you are unsure of, or maybe you feel like a guided tour, just let us know and we'd be happy to walk around with you.
Hotel experience
Standard Suite Features
Complimentary tea and coffee tray
Air conditioning
Private room safe
Wireless internet connection
Robes and slippers
Hotel Amenities
All Meals Included
Drinks & spirits included on certain rates
Safari game drives
Traditional boma dinner
Unlimited Wi-Fi
Bird Watching
Swimming Pool
Malaria Free Area
Gin Bar In-Room
Guided bush walks
Sun bathing
FAQ
Last Word Management
My heart beats for conservation and the wild places I’m lucky enough to call home. Inspired by Africa’s landscapes and the fragile ecosystems within them, I’m passionate about protecting wildlife and sharing its magic with every guest who walks through our doors. For me, every sunrise safari, every distant roar, and every graceful sighting is a moment worth celebrating.
Nothing makes me happier than seeing guests experience their first breathtaking encounter with nature, a herd moving across golden plains, birds lifting into the sky, or a quiet pause beneath vast horizons. I want you to feel relaxed, happy, and fully alive, awakened by beauty and reconnected to the wonder of the natural world.
My life motto says it all: Live like someone left the gate open. It’s an invitation to embrace freedom, curiosity, and the untamed excitement of life, the same spirit I bring to our team, our conservation work, and every unforgettable sighting we share.
Last Word Management
I’m a former safari guide and now the lodge manager, and I bring a rare blend of bush knowledge, leadership, and warm hospitality to every stay. I’ve spent years immersed in the rhythms of the African wilderness, shaped by time in the iconic landscapes of the Kruger National Park, Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania, and now here in Madikwe.
I lead with care and integrity, making sure every guest feels genuinely welcomed, valued, and connected, not only to the lodge, but to the land itself. I’m big on the details, because it’s the small things done well that create an atmosphere that feels both relaxed and refined.
For me, safari is about discovery. It’s about awakening the senses, deepening appreciation, and creating moments you’ll still be smiling about long after you’ve left.
Last word staff
Our mission simply: To make people happy. In lockdown we found a new purpose; To fill serene sanctuaries with kindness and lovely people. This is cosy living rather than hurried existence, a slowed down experience that emphasises personal happiness. And right in the middle of this purpose we forged our our singular core value - kindness – the very essence of heart candy and the seat of inner happiness. However, compassion is hard to come by in the real world. It’s often confined to close family or great friendship, rarely dished out in bucket loads by hotels. It is a rather elusive quality.
We realised that if we employed the right people (and we do), who showed amplified levels of kindness, with commensurate trust and confidence, the image of our brand would become hauntingly elusive.
We could become known as lovely people who look after lovely people and because lovely people attract one another this could form part of a self-sustaining alchemy, autocatalytic in that the combination of sanctuary, kindness and lovely people propels itself.
Dinah
Dories
Katlego
Vanessa
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