About us
Marius Spangenberg, the owner of Orange River Rafters, sold his previous business to pursue his passion for nature, river rafting, and entertainment. With over 5 years of experience in the industry, Marius is committed to providing his clients with exceptional service and adventure. Orange River Rafters’ business motto emphasizes its customer-centric approach, with clients being the most crucial part of their business. They prioritize their client’s needs and believe that they are not doing them a favour by serving them, but rather, their clients are giving them the opportunity to provide top-notch service. Book with Orange River Rafters today for an unforgettable adventure in nature.
Service is of utmost importance to Marius and his team and they are ready for all their adventure-seeking clients.
Their business motto is:
- Our clients are the most important part of our business, they are not dependent on us, we are dependent on them.
- Our clients are not interrupting our work, they are the purpose of it.
- Our clients are not outsiders in our business, they are part of it.
- We are not doing our clients a favour by serving them, they are doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do so.
Marius Spangenberg
OUR GUIDES
We are pleased to introduce you to our guides Matt Francis, Jan-Harm Duvenage and Devon Visser. All three of them are passionate about nature, cooking, the outdoors, fishing and they love adventures and expeditions.
Matthew Francis
Jan-Harm Duvenage
Devon Visser
About the Orange River, fish & bird species
The Orange River Basin extends extensively into Namibia and Botswana to the north.
It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westward through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. The river forms part of the international borders between South Africa and Namibia and between South Africa and Lesotho, as well as several provincial borders within South Africa. Except for Upington, it does not pass through any major cities. The Orange River plays an important role in the South African economy by providing water for irrigation and hydro-electric power. The river was named by Robert Jacob Gordon after the Dutch Royal House. Other names include Gariep River (used by the Khoi people), Groote River or Senqu River (used in Lesotho). The Orange River runs westward through South Africa, forming the south-western boundary of the Free State province. In this section, the river flows first into the Gariep Dam (the largest in the country) and later into the Vanderkloof Dam. From the border of Lesotho to below the Van der Kloof Dam, the river bed is deeply incised. Further downstream the land is flatter and the river is used extensively for irrigation. At the western point of the Free State, south-west of Kimberley, the Orange meets with its main tributary, the Vaal River, which itself forms much of the northern border of the province. From here the river flows further westward through the arid wilderness of the southern Kalahari region and Namaqualand in the Northern Cape province to meet with Namibia at 20°E longitude where it flows westward for 550 km, forming the international border between the province and Namibia’s Karas Region.
About the Richtersveld
The Richtersveld is a vast and unforgiving environment; stark and dramatic, yet strikingly beautiful. This route is for the self-sufficient 4×4 traveller only and it is highly recommended that you travel in a convoy as you traverse this largely uninhabited part of the Northern Cape.
It is a mountainous desert situated in the north-west corner of South Africa. To its west is the cold and rough Atlantic Ocean, while the remarkable Orange River, the largest river in South Africa, winds along its northern border. The Richtersveld has the highest diversity of succulent plants in the world (4 849 species, of which 1 940 are endemic), as well as eerie coastal mists, alluvial diamonds and truly indigenous cultures.
While many people already know about the Richtersveld National Park, few realise there is an equally large protected area to the south, previously called the Richtersveld Community Conservancy. This area is the last refuge of the Nama people, living what is known as the transhumant lifestyle – to migrate seasonally with their livestock from mountains to the river and so make sustainable use of the fragile succulent ecosystem. In recognition of this vanishing lifestyle, and of the rare botanical diversity it helps protect, the conservancy has been declared the core of a new World Heritage Site – one of only eight in South Africa. Each small village in the Richtersveld has distinctive features and characteristics. The traditional culture of the inhabitants should be explored and enjoyed. Visiting these hospitable and friendly people is an essential part of any trip to the area.
The Ai-Ais Richtersveld National Park is unique in that it is a contractual park – jointly managed by the local community and South African National Parks. Stock farmers may continue to graze their livestock in the park, thereby maintaining a centuries-old tradition.