The game reserve hosts 25 animal species: White Rhino, elephant, buffalo, hippo, crocodile, wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, kudu, nyala, bushbuck, mountain reedbuck, common reedbuck, red duiker, grey duiker, waterbuck, Steen buck, suni antelope, black backed jackal, wild dog, cerval cat, warthog, bush pig, banded mongoose, legavaan, terrapin and the occasional spotting of leopard which roam the slopes of the Lebombo mountains

Shayamoya Game Lodge is situated just south of the border of Swaziland, and overlooks the Pongola Game reserve, and has a magnificent look over the Pongola Lake, which is 40 km long, and is the only lake in South Africa that holds tiger fish.

Shayamoya Game Lodge

The accommodations are superb, and well designed, and the food that is served, in the form of a B.B.Q or in the unique restaurant is very tasty.

The Pongolapoort Lake which covers 16000 hectares is the only lake in South Africa which is home to tiger fish, scientifically known as Hydrocynus vittatus, or commonly known as the "stripped water dog". It is the third largest lake in South Africa - 30km long and up to 7km wide, not counting the 10km gorge leading to the dam wall, with a depth in the gorge of 60 meters. The largest tiger fish recorded to date is 8,3kgs caught by angler Franz Grey of Pongola in 1997. Tiger fish are everywhere at Pongolapoort, from shoals of fish no bigger than your thumb to trophy specimens

This area is a bird watchers haven boasting over 300 species of birds with the advantage of hosting the variety of bush birds, raptors and water birds which nest on the edge of the Pongolapoort Lake. Among the rarer species we are privileged to site the Hueglins robin, Pink backed pelican, Painted Snipe, Bat Hawk, Green sandpiper, Mangrove and Half-collared kingfisher, Osprey, the soaring Bateleur, Southern banded snake and Matial eagles. A resident at the lodge itself is the Scops owl

Set in a restful sub-tropical garden with picturesque views across the Pongola River, the cottage is self-contained and has a lounge with satellite television. There are 2 double bedrooms, 3 twin and one singe room, with private bathrooms. All rooms are fitted with air-conditioning and ceiling fans to make your stay comfortable. The cottage operates on a Bed and Breakfast basis with dinners being served by prior arrangement at "Shayamoya Game Lodge" only 4km away. Self catering: The cottage is equipped for self catering, sleeping maximum of 11 people.