Rietvlei Dam Nature Reserve is located on the outskirts of Tshwane, covering 4,000 hectares of grassland and wetland. It supports around 2,000 animals and 350 bird species, built to supply a significant share of Pretoria’s drinking water, and is one of the last stretches of the critically endangered Bankenveld ecosystem. Visitors can see rhinos grazing alongside buffalo, zebra, and black wildebeest. The reserve attracts birdwatchers, walkers, and families seeking a peaceful escape from city noise. Unlike most reserves, Rietvlei is remarkably close to the city – just a short drive from the R21 highway, which brings a unique set of challenges.
Friends of Rietvlei is the non-profit behind much of what keeps the reserve running. Members pay a yearly fee, volunteer their time, and raise funds for projects the reserve’s management would otherwise struggle to afford. This group of regular people who love this land translates that love into fencing repairs, equipment, and maintenance that most visitors take for granted.
ArxTech’s head office at Route 21 Business Park is across the road from the reserve, and we believe neighbours should look out for one another. Rather than write a cheque and step back, we asked what we could contribute. And upon learning about their security issues, we felt a duty to help.
We recently began installing security and monitoring systems at Rietvlei, safeguarding one of Gauteng’s most valued natural areas. ArxTech treats the reserve like any other client site, using electronic security and monitoring on our ArxTech Central Intelligence Platform (ACIP), which safeguards commercial properties throughout Gauteng.
Next time you’re at Rietvlei, watching a serval at sunset or waiting to spot a rare bird from one of the reserve’s six hides, some of what keeps that moment possible is technology from the office block just across the road. You won’t notice it. That’s rather the point.
