Up until the 1920’s the Onderburg area encompassing modern day Kwa Madwala was pristine native bushveld with few farms, towns or inhabitants. The topography of the region ranges between mixed grassland and thick bush interspersed by granite kopjies (hills) which are a feature of the area. The nearest settlement to Kwa Madwala is present day Hectorspruit which was originally known as Majejane, taking its name after a local Swazi tribal chief. The Onderburg area is very close to the Swaziland border and most local people are Swazi, who are very close in terms of language and customs to their more southerly neighbour, the Zulus.
In 1985 Jan Grobler bought an 800 hectare section of the farm "Lowhills" and developed it into a very successful cattle ranch through the 1980’s and early 1990’s. He also realised that the natural beauty of the area far exceeded the financial gain of cattle farming and formed a vision for restoring the area to it natural rugged beauty for tourism.
With this in mind Jan started introducing a variety of indigenous animal game species onto the farm. By the early 1990’s healthy populations of impala, bushbuck, nyala and zebra were established on the farm. The old farm house was expanded to accommodate guests and renamed Gazebo Lodge. Along with this transformation he visualized an exciting new potential in firstly hunting and later eco-tourism in this "Kruger Park south area" area. It is through this vision that he created something different and special by developing a magnificent private conservancy with its unique Manyatta Rock Camp. This unique hilltop camp must without a doubt be the true pride of Kwa Madwala and the Kruger Park south area. In 1999 cattle farming was abandoned and the name changed to Kwa Madwala. This truly African name means "the place of the rock", in Swazi and is so much more descriptive of the area with its granite outcrops which reach a height of 513 m a.s.l. at Wilson’s Kop to the south-east of the main lodge.
Today the reserve covers an area of 4000 hectares (approximately 10,000 acres) in the heart of the "Kruger Park south" area with Jan’s daughter, Rentia and husband Conrad managing the reserve. The reserve boasts the "big 5" with healthy numbers of lion and leopard. Recent expansion has taken the 4 star Manyatta Rock Camp to 28 units and a beautiful new dining deck which affords stunning views out across the bush. Jan Groblers original vision is now very well established and the reserve continues to pioneer through the introduction of Microlight aerial safari flights, elephant back safaris and gap year conservation programmes.