Balule Nature Reserve, Private game reserve in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Balule Nature Reserve is a private protected area in Limpopo Province, forming part of the greater Kruger ecosystem in northern South Africa. It covers savanna grasslands, wooded hills, and riverine forests along the Olifants River, giving a wide range of habitats to the wildlife that lives there.

Balule began as several separate fenced game farms. In the early 1990s landowners removed the fences between their properties to enlarge grazing area and diversify the animal gene pool; by the end of the decade most had joined, hunting was curtailed, and Kruger authorities incorporated the area by removing the fence between Kruger and Klaserie and between Klaserie and Olifants. The reserve now covers around 40,000 hectares.

The reserve's name comes from the Balule, the Tsonga word for the Olifants River, which flows about 20 km through its centre. The land was once a patchwork of separate fenced game farms; today the lodges sit inside a single unfenced expanse shared with Kruger, and guests move between them without crossing a boundary fence.

The reserve offers a range of lodging options, from basic campsites to more comfortable lodges, so visitors can choose what suits them best. Guided walks and vehicle safaris are both available, though it is worth checking local conditions in advance as they can vary with the season.

Night safaris open up a world of leopards, bush babies, and owls that most daytime visitors never get to see. The Olifants River bank is also a place where lion prides are regularly spotted moving at night, which is far less common to witness during daylight hours.