If you buy into the Limpopo- Lipadi project, and half the 300 shares have gone within a year, you are, according to managing director Alan Marneweck, investing in a new way of life.

"We say to people: don't buy in if you just want an investment, but if you want a change of lifestyle, join us," he said.

The project is green enough to gladden the heart of the most committed environmentalist.

"We use an eco-system sustainability model, constantly testing our resources and what is happening to them. For example, water is our greatest natural asset so we're always checking the levels in the reserve."

If they fall beneath a desirable level, the Marnewecks do their best to take appropriate action.

What you get in abundance with the Limpopo project is excitement. Your share, which costs €135,000 (£101,000), buys you a "gold share" stake in the company owning the reserve and everything in it, including the animals. So you become part-owner of ranches, lodges, transport, bush - and the odd wildebeest.

You are also free to come and go as often as you want, for up to two weeks at a time (longer if you buy more shares), and inspect your property. The only costs when you arrive are for food, drink and fuel. Then, if you want, you can learn how to become your own game ranger.

"We teach people the necessary skills to go out into the bush and not be scared, to enjoy the wildlife."

One of the ongoing projects at Limpopo-Lipadi, which covers 900 square kilometres of prime Botswanan territory, is the reintroduction of the most endangered "red data" species. Recently, they captured and darted some white rhino and brought them to the reserve, where conditions should be conducive to the animals' health and contentment. These are the first rhino in the area for 100 years.

They have also reintroduced lions. When the reintroduction occurs, shareholders join in and are given certain tasks. With the rhino job, Alan recalls asking one volunteer to keep cotton wool in the rhino's ear, to reduce stress, while another held the rope steering the animal's horn.

"It's a big job capturing a rhino, as they weigh several tons, and we needed several people to help. We aim to introduce a breeding herd of seven black rhino and six white rhino, since at the moment there are only 70 white rhinos and under ten black rhinos in the country."

Investing here provides the sort of dinner party anecdotes that are hard to beat.

Ted Newton, from Norfolk, is an enthusiastic owner of five shares in Limpopo. A chartered surveyor, farmer and property owner, he has long cherished the dream of buying into something like the Limpopo-Lipadi project.

"I had an inkling it would be in Botswana and eventually found details of this development in the African Geographic magazine. And before you ask, no, I hadn't read Alexander McCall Smith's novels set in the country, but I heard bits on the radio."

Mr Newton has involved himself impressively with the area, and took his mother (85) on a trip to see the site where he is going to build a house, investing around £200,000 in the process.

"We were made very welcome by the people there, and I must mention the Limpopo's excellent social responsibility programme which means they work in conjunction with local villages and schools. We met village leaders, teachers and a bishop; they made my mother very welcome, allowing themselves to be photo- graphed with her, although normally they don't like photos."

The lodge the Newtons will be building is in a glorious location beside the Limpopo river - the great, grey, green, greasy Limpopo river as Kipling dubbed it in the Just So stories.

"We aim to cause the least disruption to the landscape and before architect's plans can be drawn up, every tree on the site is being mapped."

They are following the African pattern of siting the bedrooms away from the living area, and will be working round a 13-foot high termite mound which may be thousands of years old.

"I'm very excited about this project, and would recommend it to anyone." Visit www.limpopo- lipadi for more information, telephone 0027 12349 2437.