Luxury Game Reserve
A Family Legacy Shaped by Nature
Interview with One of Naka’s Directors, Harry Karamichael
Luxury Game Reserve
Naka Lodge, at its foundation, is a haven for family and friends to meet and reconnect with each other and nature. Before the property became a luxurious lodge, it began as a family farm. To the Karamichaels, it was the perfect place to escape the city’s rush with the people closest to their hearts.
These special memories from his childhood inspired Harry Karamichael, one of Naka’s directors, to open the reserve to the public. In an interview with Harry, we learn more about Naka’s journey from farm to lodge. Discover the beautiful memories of the past and the exciting dreams ahead!
Q: Good day, Harry. We’re excited to learn more about Naka and its incredible journey, but I understand the tale starts beyond the borders of South Africa. Tell me, where’s your family from?
A: Originally, my family came from Cyprus. My dad, Andrew Karamichael, was a pioneer and a risk-taker who loved adventure. He lived in a small village in Cyprus called Peristerona in 1962 before moving to South Africa. Here, he met my mom, one of nine children, and they both worked very hard to build something for their family.
My parents understood what it meant to develop from very little over time. They taught us that life is the careful crafting of forces and elements to create something beautiful. Because of this, my brother Basil and I come from a hard-working, pioneering family. One day my three sons, Andreas, Yianni, and Nickolas, will follow in our footsteps and with time be ‘shaped by nature’ like we were. I’m also fortunate to be supported by my wife Judy through all the ebbs and flows in life.
Q: You’re quite a successful businessman with Naka Lodge being one of many companies registered under the Karamichael name. Where did you learn your trade and skills?
A: I learned my trade by working side by side with the older generation, which also taught me that we have to look to nature for the answers. I always look at the perfections in the imperfections because that is where we get shaped with life’s best virtues like courage, love, gratitude, creativity, integrity, and wisdom.
Q: How did your family come to own the reserve in Limpopo where Naka Lodge is?
A: My dad loved adventure and fell in love with the Limpopo bushveld. He loved nature and always told us about his exciting adventures in the African wilderness. He spoke of black mambas dancing and of the mighty buffalo or the dangerous bushbuck and taught us to always respect the cycles of nature.
When I was 16, he traded his place by the sea for this property and traded in his Mercedes for a Toyota. Now, the lodge is owned by our family trust, and we take pride in our duty to preserve and protect this environment for future generations. We built St Andrew’s Chapel in memory of my dad.
The old lodge, Wild Limpopo, was our family’s place of reflection. It was a place where we could allow nature to heal and recalibrate us. Our family and my children have enjoyed wonderful life experiences there.
Q: What inspired you to turn the family farm into a luxury lodge?
A: We wanted our guests to experience what we as a family experienced here. Nature teaches us about ourselves. We are all ‘shaped by nature’, and everything before us is a result of millions of years of shaping and forming.
Naka is a place for our guests to experience nature in its uncontaminated form, as we are a place (and space) where nature recalibrates mind, body, and soul.
Q: Naka Lodge’s maxim is ‘Shaped by Nature’. How has Naka and the natural world around it shaped you?
A: Naka teaches us that we are part of a bigger system and that our actions have consequences. Naka taught me that life takes time and patience to unlock its secrets and wisdom. We are part of nature and interconnected with the land; it teaches us that there’s beauty in imperfections and that nature’s flawlessness reflects our life’s journey.
Naka teaches us to be antifragile—how to adapt, innovate, and diversify. We can learn this from our wild bees or a termite mound, from the dung beetle, or even from how the trees protect themselves with thorns or tannins.
At Naka, we see how the four seasons mirror our own lives. We understand that times of hardship will transform into periods of renewal and growth. We learn how to embrace uncertainty. We understand that in good times we should have gratitude and plan for more difficult times.
Nature gives us the blueprint to live a more authentic life. We sense our world and follow its natural rhythms. Naka teaches us to be human again.
Q: How would you say you’re shaping Naka in turn?
A: Everything we see before us is evidence of time’s careful crafting. People from the city can learn from Naka, and our local community can learn new skills from the city. Our local people can teach us about the ways of the natural world. For this reason, I encourage our employees to travel between the city and the bushveld to learn from both places and combine their skills to transform Naka into the best version of itself.
Q: What’s your favourite thing about Naka?
A: Mostly, I love the stars and planets. The light from other galaxies can take many millions or even billions of years to reach us. This means that more distant galaxies can be seen as they were billions of years ago. The light we see from the Naka (Canopus) star took 310 million light years to get to us. To think that this star is 13,600 times more luminous than our sun, illuminating us in an instant.
But beyond that, I also love the elusive Limpopo bushbuck and the beautiful leadwood trees, and how Naka is a place where rivers meet. It’s one of the most critically endangered areas in Africa, and we have a responsibility as a family to protect and preserve this for future generations.
Converting the family farm is the first step in an exciting journey ahead. Harry and his team at Naka look forward to meeting and welcoming new people to their corner of Limpopo. With brilliant night skies, fascinating wildlife, majestic trees, and a unique confluence, Naka Lodge is the perfect escape from everyday life.
A visit to Naka promises a serene environment where guests can reconnect with nature’s harmony. Nestled at the edge of the Limpopo River, it allows the opportunity to rejuvenate and recalibrate away from the city’s bustle. Let yourself be shaped by nature as you rediscover the past and prepare for the future.
