Farrah Hattingh
Administration & bookings
Farrah looks after administration and bookings, helping you plan your visit to Zaagkuilsdrift.
About us
A lodge with
a personal welcome.
Meet the people behind our family-run birding lodge. On the Kgomo-Kgomo floodplain, a love of birds meets a warm welcome.
The people behind your stay
Meet your lodge team.
Steegan Smith
Lodge manager & front of house
Steegan manages the lodge and looks after front of house, welcoming guests and helping with their stay.
Beyond your stay
A love of birds.
A commitment to their future.
Meet Alex Hattingh
Beyond the lodge, Alex also works in research and education through the Zaagkuilsdrift Conservation Foundation.
Conservation, research & education
Zaagkuilsdrift Conservation Foundation
Explore wetland conservation, wildlife health and work to protect threatened species. The Foundation also supports community education.
Visit the Conservation Foundation ↗ The Flamingo Project ↗ Community conservation & education ↗Learning is part of life here, too. For example, BirdLife South Africa has reported on guide training and sound-recording workshops at the lodge. Read the field notes below to learn more.
Meet us at the lodge ↗
Stories from our community
From the field.
Explore sound recording, conservation and education. Each story also links to the original dated report.
BirdLife South Africa · 21 October 2026
Listening for science
A sound-recording workshop at the lodge brought birders and guides together to contribute recordings to citizen science.
Read the original report ↗Project statement · 3 August 2026
A new chapter for flamingo conservation
A public project statement describes the transfer of the Mike Bolhuis Flamingo Project to the Zaagkuilsdrift Conservation Foundation.
Read the original report ↗African BirdLife · 10 September 2026
A legacy that helps young birders
A Kenneth Newman legacy celebration at the lodge helped raise funds for conservation education in the neighbouring Kgomo-Kgomo community.
Read the original report ↗