At !Khwa ttu, we use an indigenous, San-led approach together with local and scientific knowledge to inform conservation and restoration practices at a landscape, ecosystem, and species level throughout the 850-hectare conservation area.

For the San, landscapes are living cultural heritage, offering food, medicine, shelter, and tools. By removing invasive alien plants, reintroducing indigenous species, and protecting sensitive areas from overgrazing, !Khwa ttu’s San-led restoration efforts are helping to establish a resilient and healthy indigenous landscape that can support responsible eco-tourism, low levels of hunting and gathering by the restaurant, and preserve San livelihoods, traditions, and culture.

!Khwa ttu is situated within the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), a designated World Heritage Site renowned for being one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. The CFR is home to fynbos with over 8,500 indigenous plant species, making it one of the richest plant communities on Earth.

Fynbos is not just a single vegetation type but a family of vegetation types that thrive in a range of environments, from coastal flats to mountains. In the Western Cape, there are more than 80 recognised types of fynbos, classified based on soil, geology, climate, and species composition. In addition to fynbos, the CFR also includes Renosterveld, a distinct yet closely related vegetation type. While both share a fire-adapted nature and are dominated by shrubs, Renosterveld differs in that it lacks the characteristic Proteas, Ericas, and Restios found in fynbos.

The landscape of !Khwa ttu is home to two very special indigenous plant communities, namely Swartland Granite Renosterveld on the east of the property and Hopefield Sand Fynbos in the lower-lying areas to the west of the conservation area. The area where the Renosterveld and lowland fynbos meet and blend together to create a unique mix of species is known as an ecotone. Around 300 hectares of the conservation area at !Khwa ttu have been identified as containing critical biodiversity and ecological support areas linked to the recharge of the Grootwater and broader West Coast aquifer systems, as well as healthy wetland ecosystems above ground.

In March 2026, !Khwa ttu joined three neighbouring landowners to formally establish the Yzerfontein Fynbos Conservancy, a shared commitment to protect one of the most beautiful stretches of the Cape West Coast.

Rather than continuing as separate farms, the four neighbours chose a shared future — one rooted in conservation, open landscapes, and responsible ecotourism. The conservancy is more than a legal agreement. It is a long-term commitment between neighbours to protect a wild and beautiful part of the West Coast for the generations who will come after us. Today, the fences are slowly disappearing, and the land is becoming connected again.

Together, the four properties form a connected landscape of nearly 4,000 hectares, and across the conservancy you will find several types of coastal and lowland fynbos, seasonal water pans and streams, coastal dunes, and a pristine sandy shoreline. It secures and safeguards habitat for species such as the extremely rare Dickson’s Brown butterfly (Stygionympha dicksoni), the endangered Black Harrier (Circus maurus), the elusive Cape leopard (Panthera pardus), and numerous rare and endemic plant species, including the West Coast Spiderhead (Serruria decipiens) and Saldanha Pincushion (Leucospermum tomentosum).

Both !Khwa ttu and the Yzerfontein Fynbos Conservancy neighbours’ existing nature reserves are located within the buffer zone of the West Coast National Park and fall within the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve. The conservancy also forms part of the north–south climate adaptation corridor, also known as the West Coast Biodiversity Corridor.