Natural Selection Pitches camp on private concession in the southern parts of Botswana’s Okavango Delta

The popular Safari operator, Natural Selection, plans to launch the Mokolwane Plains, a new camp on a private concession in the southern parts of the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

The proposed Mokolwane Plains Camp goes into operation on the desert lake from July 2027.

The camp is on NG29, a 490,000-acre concession along the Xudum River that is more than twice the size of New York City.

So far, only one other camp operates there.

Mokolwane Plains will open with five under-canvas suites; a family suite will debut in September 2027 and a two-bedroom villa later in the Christmas season starting December.

The camp was designed by Jack Alexander Studio and is built around existing trees and termite mounds.

Each suite has about 1,076 square feet of interior space, insulated canvas walls and indoor and outdoor showers.

Suites also have solar-powered air conditioning and private decks with heated plunge pools facing the river.

Shared facilities include a show kitchen, a wine cellar for private dining, a 60-foot pool, a spa, a gym and a shop.

The villa is for exclusive use by up to four adults and two children. It comes with its own private guide and vehicle, a 23-foot pool and a satellite kitchen.

According to Natural Selection, NG29 has the third-highest recorded leopard density in Africa. The concession also supports lion, African wild dog, spotted hyena and cheetah. Netflix’s “Living with Leopards” was filmed there.

“We still frequently encounter packs of wild dogs, cheetahs and leopards we have never seen before, simply showing up,” said Brad Bestelink, the series’ filmmaker, who has documented the region for more than 25 years.

Activities include game drives that can continue after dark, boat safaris, seasonal mokoro excursions and helicopter flights.

The camp will fund a ranger camp and vehicle with a wildlife-protection Non-Government Organization as well as the Botswana Defence Force.

The facility management will also support research into how giraffes move in the landscape and back conservation education in local villages.

To this end the establishment will be working with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF).