Mpumalanga, Part 2: Glamping at Kokiville Homestead

As discussed previously – what now seems like an eternity ago – Thorsten and I took a road trip through Mpumalanga province over the Christmas holidays. Our final stop on that trip was Kokiville Homestead, a quirky lodge outside Mbombela (formerly known as Nelspruit). We glamped (glamor-camped) in a tipi (teepee), stared out at the beautiful view, made nice food for ourselves, and did very little else. It was a great way to kick off 2025.

Thorsten sketching at Kokiville. I’m calling it a lodge, for lack of a better word, although it’s much more than that.

I’d been following Kokiville on Instagram for several months – my friend Gail is friends with the owners, Janine and Gavin – and I was intrigued by their quirky-looking accommodation and their sustainability ethos. When I finally got there in person, Kokiville exceeded my expectations. Janine and Gavin are special people and Kokiville is a special place.

The quick story behind Kokiville: Janine and Gavin used to be city folk and they lived in Kensington, one of Joburg’s iconic old suburbs. Several years ago, they purchased this piece of wild bushveld in Mpumalanga with nothing on it – no buildings, no electricity, no water supply – and built Kokiville from scratch. Gavin lived on the property in an old school bus named Patsy (which is now one of the accommodation offerings at Kokiville), while Janine continued to work her consulting job in Joburg and commuted back and forth.

Janine and Gavin with their friendly Great Dane, Jasper.

Janine and Gavin, who are also known as the Kokis because their last name is Kocovaos, slowly developed the property, building a house for themselves, a house for Janine’s mother, and two funky accommodation units from converted shipping containers. They also started an incredible food garden. They later added the tipi, where Thorsten and I stayed, and another unit called the Boho Bush Cabin.

Jasper stares down a duck. Kokiville has a flock of free-range ducks, a bunch of chickens, and a couple of cows.

Three Nights in a Tipi at Kokiville Homestead

I’m a sucker for unusual self-catering accommodation. When I found out there was an actual tipi in the middle of Mpumalanga, of course I needed to sleep in it.

The tipi with the top flaps and front door open.

Thorsten exits the tipi on a rainy morning when the flaps were closed. Closing the tipi requires a bit of effort; you grasp the wooden poles, which are attached to the top tent flaps, wrap them around until the top is closed, and then secure the poles in the sand. We (and by “we”, I mean Thorsten) got very good at opening and closing the tipi as weather conditions changed.

Inside the tipi. It rained very hard while we were there and we stayed dry the entire time. Tipis are amazingly watertight! It was very hot inside during the day though, as this was the height of summer.

View of the tipi area from the path below.

Thorsten (@theThinkingHand) made great architectural sketches of the tipi complex.

The tipi is a couple of minutes’ walk from Janine and Gavin’s house and the other units, and is quite private with a beautiful view of the bush. The tipi itself is just for sleeping, and there is a separate structure beside it with a covered sitting area, a small kitchen, and a luxurious bathroom with both indoor and outdoor showers. There is an outdoor bathtub, just big enough for two people, which you can sit in while looking out at the view.

The kitchen and sitting area, where we spent many hours just sitting.

The view. The acacia trees were exploding with tiny yellow flowers during our stay.

The bath.

In addition to sitting around, reading, and staring into space, my favorite thing to do at Kokiville was to walk on the “Snail Trail”, a mini hiking trail through the forest that Gavin and Janine built. The trail is well marked and only about a kilometer long.

There is a small bird hide on the Snail Trail.

I love that Kokiville is so close to a decent-sized town but also feels completely remote. I hope to go back soon and try out some of the other accommodation.

Final Notes on Kokiville

1) We had great wifi at the tipi.
2) Kokiville is self-catering so bring everything you need to eat and drink. I think there is a Woolworth’s about 20 minutes away, but we had no desire to leave once we arrived.
3) If you do feel like leaving, Kokiville is very close to the Kruger Park, Kaapsehoop, the Panorama Route, everything in Mbombela, and lots of other amazing Mpumalanga attractions.
4) This part of Mpumalanga is HOT (especially for a 50-and-a-half-year-old woman like me). If you stay at Kokiville in the summer, I recommend a cooler box with lots of ice and handheld fans.
5) Bring citronella candles, mosquito coils, and/or bug spray in summer. Kokiville supplies nice natural bug repellant but sometimes we needed more firepower.
6) Tipi residents are welcome to use the Kokiville pool, which is next to Janine and Gavin’s house, so bring a cozzie (as the South Africans say).

An acacia sketch by @theThinkingHand.

Thanks Janine and Gavin!