Safaris in South Africa 2027 & 2028
South Africa offers more safari options than almost any other countries on the continent. Our Africa Travel Experts are on hand to help you plan a South Africa afari to suit you. To help you start planning, our team have answered some of the frequently asked questions about South Africa Safaris below.
Is South Africa a good safari destination?
South Africa is one of the best safari destinations in the world, and for many first-time visitors it is the ideal introduction to African wildlife. It offers the full ‘Big 5’ of lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino, across a wide range of National Parks and Game Reserves. Infrastructure is excellent, English is widely spoken, and the quality of safari lodges, from well-priced tented camps to some of the most luxurious lodges on the continent, is consistently high. South Africa also has the advantage of being more straightforward to combine with a city break or beach holiday than many other African safari destinations.
When is the best time to go on safari in South Africa?
South Africa can be visited year-round for a safari, but the dry winter months from May to September are generally considered the best time for wildlife viewing. Vegetation thins out significantly as the season progresses, animals gather around water sources, and the cooler temperatures make game drives more comfortable. July and August in particular tend to offer excellent game viewing across most regions.
The summer months from November to March bring lush green landscapes and warm temperatures, and this is when many migratory bird species are present. Rain falls mainly in the afternoons and evenings, rarely disrupting game drives for long. Summer is also the season when many animals give birth, so if you are hoping to see young wildlife, a November to February visit can be very rewarding. The shoulder months of April and October offer a good balance of green scenery, lower prices and solid game viewing.
What is the difference between a National Park safari and a Private Game Reserve safari?
In a National Park such as Kruger or Addo, you are sharing the roads with other visitors and must stay on designated roads at all times. You can self-drive in your own hire car, which makes for a very flexible and cost-effective experience. Accommodation ranges from basic rest camps to more comfortable chalets and bush lodges.
In a Private Game Reserve, access is restricted to only guests of the lodge or camp. Game drives are conducted by a qualified ranger, typically accompanied by a tracker, and vehicles can go off-road to follow animals through the bush. This makes for a fundamentally different kind of experience: quieter, more personal, and often more productive for seeing predators and other elusive species. Private reserves can also operate guided night drives and, in many cases, guided bush walks on foot, which are not permitted in most National Parks. The trade-off is cost: private lodge stays are considerably more expensive than self-drive National Park accommodation, though they do include all meals, drinks and activities in the price.
What South Africa safaris are malaria free?
Malaria is present in some parts of South Africa, particularly in the lowveld regions where Kruger National Park and the Greater Kruger private reserves are located. The risk is generally considered low to moderate, and many travellers visit these areas without issue, but if you would prefer not to take antimalarial medication or are travelling with young children, a malaria-free safari may be the right choice for you.
Several of South Africa’s finest safari regions are entirely malaria free, thanks to their altitude or climate. These include Madikwe Game Reserve and Pilanesberg National Park in the North West Province, the Waterberg in Limpopo, and the Eastern Cape reserves such as Amakhala, Kariega and Pumba. KwaZulu-Natal presents a more nuanced picture: Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park carries a low malaria risk, particularly in the dry winter months, while some of the private reserves in the region are considered effectively malaria free. We will always advise you clearly on the risk level for your specific itinerary and recommend you consult your GP or a travel health clinic before travelling.
What is the difference between Kruger National Park and Greater Kruger?
This is one of the questions that we are asked most often, and it is a genuinely important distinction. Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s largest and most celebrated National Parks, covering nearly two million hectares of savannah in the northeast of South Africa. It is managed by South African National Parks and is accessible to self-drive visitors, with a network of well-maintained tarred and gravel roads and a range of rest camps at various price points.
Greater Kruger refers to the collection of Private Game Reserves that share an unfenced border with the National Park to the west, allowing wildlife to move freely between the two areas. Sabi Sands, Timbavati, Klaserie and Makalali are among the best known. These reserves are not open to self-drive visitors. To access them you must stay at one of the private safari lodges or camps within the reserve. Game drives and guided bush walks are included as part of your stay. The benefits of a private reserve are significant: guides can take vehicles off-road to follow animals through the bush, group sizes are smaller, and the overall experience is more intimate and exclusive. Private reserves also tend to have a higher density of predators, particularly leopard, which is famously difficult to see in the open park but regularly encountered in Sabi Sands.
In short, the whole of the Kruger is wonderful, flexible and affordable. Greater Kruger is more exclusive, more immersive and tends to offer a higher standard of wildlife encounter. Many of our customers choose to combine the two, spending a night or two at a private lodge before heading into the National Park on a self drive.
Where is Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park and why is it significant?
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is in KwaZulu-Natal and holds a unique place in conservation history. Established in 1895, it is the oldest proclaimed game reserve on the African continent, and it was here that the white rhino was brought back from the very brink of extinction. By the early twentieth century, the global population of white rhino had fallen to fewer than 100 animals before a decades-long conservation programme centred on this park helped numbers recover to the tens of thousands seen today.
The park is outstanding for rhino viewing, both white and black, and is also home to the full ‘Big Five’ alongside cheetah, wild dog and an exceptional range of birdlife. It sits around two and a half hours north of Durban and combines naturally with a stay at St Lucia or on the Elephant Coast for a KwaZulu-Natal safari and beach holiday.
Where is Madikwe Game Reserve and why is it often recommended for families?
Madikwe is one of South Africa’s largest game reserves and also one of the most underrated. Located in the North West Province near the border with Botswana, it is home to all of the ‘Big 5’ as well as wild dog, which are more reliably seen here than almost anywhere else in the country. What makes Madikwe particularly popular with families is that it is entirely malaria free and most lodges welcome children of all ages, with some offering dedicated family accommodation and junior ranger programmes. Being within driving distance of Johannesburg (roughly four hours) also makes it easy to combine with a flight into OR Tambo without the need for an additional domestic connection.
Can I visit Pilanesberg National Park from Sun City?
Yes, and this is one of the most popular combinations in the North West Province. Pilanesberg National Park sits directly adjacent to Sun City, with the main entrance gate just a few minutes drive from the resort, making it the perfect add-on for guests already staying there.
The park covers 55,000 hectares within an ancient volcanic crater and is home to all of the ‘Big 5’ making it one of the most accessible malaria-free safari experiences in South Africa. The best experiences are had by joining a guided game drive departing from Sun City, or even better, by staying at one of the lodges within the park itself for a more immersive experience.
For families in particular, the combination of Sun City and Pilanesberg works brilliantly: the resort provides the pools, entertainment and activities that keep younger children happy, while the park offers genuine ‘Big 5’ game viewing just minutes away. It is also within easy reach of Johannesburg, around two hours by road, making it a very manageable addition to a wider South Africa itinerary.
How best to book a South Africa Safari?
No two South Africa safaris are the same, and with so many regions, reserves and lodge combinations to consider, the best place to start is a conversation with someone who knows the destination well. Our Africa Travel Experts have all lived or travelled extensively in South Africa and can help you weigh up the options, whether you are choosing between Kruger and the Eastern Cape, deciding whether a malaria-free reserve is the right fit, or working out how to combine a safari with a beach stay or city break.
Rather than spending hours researching online, a single call or email to our team will quickly bring your safari into focus. We will listen to what you are hoping to experience, suggest the regions and lodges that best match your interests and budget, and put together a bespoke itinerary designed around you. Get in touch with our Africa Travel Experts today and let us start planning your perfect South Africa safari.
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