Development History

Early Development 1989 - 1992

Andrew and Ronny Montgomery purchased the property in 1989 to establish a private conservation reserve in Maputaland. The property was a relatively unspoilt cattle and game farm in the Ubombo Mountains.  It comprised two portions totalling 1,214 ha and bordered Mkuze Game Reserve. It was owned by a Zululand legend, the late Dr Siegfried Prigge, a retired medical doctor who flew his light aircraft around Zululand visiting patients including the previous Zulu King. Andrew purchased the farm in November 1989 and named it Kube Yini.

Andrew invited a number of friends and family to invest in a venture to convert the farm into a fully fledged private game reserve.

It took three years to convert Kube Yini according to development plan. Andrew spread his time between managing his Urban, Regional and Environmental Planning business in Pietermaritzburg and planning and supervising Kube Yini's rehabilitation and conducting shareblock sales. The initial restocking Kube Yini with the larger animals was relatively straightforward; it has taken far longer to rehabilitate the natural environment and to encourage the return of the smaller animals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects that occurred naturally on Kube Yini in centuries past.

The following initial works were undertaken: Construct accommodation (a bush camp) for prospective shareholders; Remove all the internal fences; Remove the eucalypt plantation from central plain; Replace 7 kms of game fence and repair the balance of 5 kms of game fence; Repair and construct a total of 55 kms of internal roads; Construct hides and Clubhouse Dam, and repair existing dams; Construct water supplies to all sites; Construct power supplies to all sites; Construct staff accommodation and ablutions; Construct the entrance gate and the gatehouse; Undertake the marketing for the project and the sales of all shares; and Purchase and introduce appropriate game species. The Game inventory as determined by Kevin Leo Smith on 31 December 1991) comprised the following: White Rhino 5 (introduced, 4 females and 1 male); Giraffe18 (introduced); Zebra 54 (introduced); Red Haartebeest 10 (introduced *); Waterbuck 12 (introduced); Blue duiker approx. 10 (existing); Nyala approx. 250 (existing); Impala 50 (existing) and 250 (introduced); Suni approx. 20 (existing); Red Duiker approx. 30 (existing); Grey Duiker approx. 30 (existing); Kudu approx. 6 females (existing); Bush buck approx.20 (existing); Warthog approx. 30 (existing); Hyaena approx. 3 (existing); Steenbuck approx.10 (existing); Common Reedbuck approx. 50 (existing); and Leopard 1 pair (existing) or two pairs with overlapping ranges.

The 'Kube Yini Dream' was communicated to prospective shareholders through an advertisement campaign and personal contact with prospective shareholders (see original advertisements). The first phase of Kube Yini was opened on 31 December 1990, with 25 fully serviced shareholder sites and the balance of 25 sites was opened a year later in January 1992. The first Annual General Meeting of Shareholders was held in the Kube Yini Clubhouse on 18 April 1992. Today, 44 of the 50 potential sites have been fully developed, and two are in process of development.