Western Cape gets a new nature reserve

There’s a new name to know on the Western Cape’s conservation map: Mount David Nature Reserve. 

This freshly declared provincial nature reserve has conservationists excited as an Overberg haven for biodiversity, as the reserve shelters a Critically Endangered Erica species once thought to be nearly extinct, and the elusive Moonlight Mountain Toadlet (Capensibufo selenophos) - a species so rarely seen it was listed as Data Deficient. Other species also recorded across the reserve include Leopard, Klipspringer, Grey Rhebok, Blue Cranes, Black Harriers and Verreaux’s Eagles. 

Previously, this natural wonderland was a farmland used for livestock and grain. Over the past 17 years, landowner Antony van Hoogstraten has quietly been turning back the ecological clock, clearing invasive plants, restoring fynbos and allowing nature to reclaim the space. And his dedication has paid off. Working with CapeNature, conservationists from Bionerds, and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), the propert, formerly known as Diepgat, was officially declared the Mount David Nature Reserve on 7 November 2025 under South Africa’s National Environmental Management Protected Areas Act.

Dream region for nature lovers 

The Overberg region is a dream for nature lovers and hikers alike - with its coastal cliffs and whale-watching trails of De Hoop Nature Reserve, to the flower-filled slopes of Fernkloof Nature Reserve above Hermanus. And with new protected areas like the Mount David Nature Reserve being added to the map, the Overberg’s mosaic of wild spaces will only continue to thrive.  

SEE: Where to watch the whales near Cape Town

The declaration of Mount David forms part of the Western Cape’s growing network of protected areas, helping to conserve biodiversity and strengthen the province’s ecological resilience, according to Anton Bredell, Western Cape Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning. 

“These natural systems provide the clean water, fertile soils, and climate regulation that sustain our communities and economy,” states Bredell.

Alouise Lynch, Director of Bionerds, who helped to facilitate the process of getting Mount David declared as a provincial nature reserve, along with the EWT says the property has special ecological diversity that cannot be ignored.

“To have recorded a new breeding locality for the Moonlight Mountain Toadlet was a special addition to the ecological diversity of this property, and to have a landowner who has expressed such commitment to conservation through his actions, such that the ecosystems are in a near-pristine condition, is perhaps the greatest reward for anyone working with threatened species and habitats,” says Lynch.

Mount David’s success story shows what’s possible when private landowners invest in restoring nature and why formal protection matters. With CapeNature’s Stewardship Programme, landowners who are already protecting or rehabilitating their land can apply for official nature reserve status, gaining recognition and long-term protection for their conservation work.