The official reopening follows a two-week soft launch with family, friends and travel trade partners, giving the returning team time to find its rhythm and the lodge time to settle into its new skin.
“We had planned to spend 2025 refurbishing a lodge that had grown with us over the previous 25 years. The flood was devastating, but the silver lining was the opportunity to build for the next 25 years, rather than simply refurbish the last 25.” Jan van Heteren, Co-owner
The result is brighter, bolder and more considered, while remaining unmistakably Jaci’s: colourful, warm, deeply personal and bringing in the wilderness. The rebuild has introduced reimagined accommodation and guest spaces, but the family says the character of the lodge, and the connection between guests, team and place, was the one thing that could not change.
“Seeing guests arrive again has been incredibly rewarding. After the closure, rebuilding and reimagining, welcoming people back feels like the final step in bringing Jaci’s home again. It is a celebration not only of the new lodge, but of the people, spirit and colourful hospitality that have always been at its heart.” Dane van Heteren, Sales & Marketing Manager
A FAMILY STORY, CARRIED FORWARD
The reopening also marks a generational shift. Jaci and Jan remain actively involved, while their sons Tristan and Dane are taking leading roles in shaping and running the lodge’s next chapter.
That story is captured in the evolved Jaci’s logo, which now features two wild dogs rather than one. Jaci jokes that the larger dog represents the parents: still present, still involved and occasionally ready to nip at the youngsters’ heels, while the next generation moves to the front of the pack.
THE JACI’S PACK RETURNS
A large number of the pre-closure team, affectionately known as the Jaci’s Pack, have returned. For the family, seeing familiar faces back at the lodge has been one of the most meaningful parts of reopening, carrying the warmth, personality and accumulated knowledge of the original Jaci’s into its renewed spaces.
Through the Jaci’s Staff Trust, team members own 27.2% of the business. Staff who have worked at Jaci’s for more than five years can become shareholders and receive annual dividends through the Trust. With the majority of the team drawn from communities surrounding the reserve, the model creates long-term financial participation and ensures that the lodge’s success is shared with the people whose loyalty, skill and care have shaped its story.
“Coming back to Jaci’s feels like coming home. The lodge may be new, but the heart of Jaci’s is still the same: the people, the smiles and the way we make guests feel like family.” Mocca, Lodge Manager
REBUILT WITH PURPOSE
The rebuild was guided by a simple principle: restore wherever possible and replace only when necessary. Existing decking was removed, sanded and repurposed within the new build, while furniture was cleaned, repaired and reconditioned, in some cases more than once, so that it could continue its story in the renewed lodge. The approach reduced waste while preserving layers of Jaci’s history.
The lodge’s wider environmental practices include solar power to meet its energy needs, water being treated and repurposed, and a zero-waste vision that prioritises the recycling and reuse of glass, paper, tin and organic waste. On-site vegetable gardens supplement ingredients sourced from local markets and greengrocers, while recruitment is prioritised from communities surrounding the reserve wherever possible.
A NEW LODGE WITH A FAMILIAR SOUL
Accommodation at the renewed Jaci’s Private Lodge includes six Safari Suites for 2 guests, four Safari Suite Expeditions for 2 adults and 2 children, the three-bedroom Kubu and Nare Villas for up to 6 guests each, and the five-bedroom Jaci’s Madikwe House for up to 10 guests.
Familiar rituals remain woven through the experience, from Jaci’s Cheeky Chilli at the table to Jan’s personally curated wine cellar and dining on the main lodge deck, on the elevated Thutlwa Deck and in the boma overlooking the Marico River. The soft launch also coincided with the return of the five Ashia cheetah brothers to the open plains near the lodge, a fitting reminder that the new chapter remains rooted in Madikwe’s wildlife and landscape.
To celebrate the reopening, Jaci’s Private Lodge is offering a limited Pay 3, Stay 4 launch special, with the fourth night complimentary for stays from 1 July - 31 August 2026. Updated fact sheets, imagery and travel trade resources are available through the links in the Notes to Editors below.
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