National Parks - South Africa
The Addo Elephant National Park is the largest national park on the Eastern Cape. It was established in 1931, in order to protect the last eleven surviving elephants. Today, the park is home to more than 450 elephants, and the Big Five are represented here, too. With a future addition of a marine reserve (the island groups St Crox and Bird Islands), the park is headed to become the second largest national park in South Africa, while extending its range from the Big Five to the Big Seven (whale and white shark).
Location: Eastern Cape, 72 km north of Port Elizabeth
Size: 1,800 km2
Animals: Big Five, Cape buffalo, more than 170 bird species
Particularities: Malaria-free, currently being extended by a marine reserve
The Augrabies Falls National Park impresses with the Oranje River which makes life possible in the dry North of South Africa and cascades down into a deep canyon short before the border to Namibia. The Augrabies Falls belong to the six largest waterfalls in the world. In addition to this natural spectacle, the park offers to its visitors a manifold flora and fauna.
Location: Northern Cape, 120 km west of Upington
Size: 880 km2
Animals: Many bird species, gazelles, baboons, porcupines, black rhinoceros
Particularities: Augrabies Falls
The Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve is a union of the wildlife reserves Hluhluwe and Imfolozi. The park, which features the Big Five, is particularly renowned for its large rhino population.
Location: KwaZulu-Natal, 280 km north of Durban
Size: 1,000 km2
Animals: Big Five, more than 1,000 white and black rhinos
Particularities: Large rhino population
The iSimangaliso Wetland Park was declared South Africa‘s first UNESCO World Heritage in 1999. The park impresses with its manifold fauna and flora. In the centre of the park is the St Lucia Lake, the home of more than 400 hippopotamus, crocodiles, reedbucks, and more than 520 bird species is. For its incredible variety of fish the place is also ideal for anglers and divers.
Location: KwaZulu-Natal, 200 km north of Durban
Size: 3320 km2
Animals: More than 520 bird species, more than 400 hippopotamus, large variety of fish, black-winged stilt, crocodiles, antelopes
Particularities: UNESCO World Heritage
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park is the first border-crossing nature reserve in Africa In 1999, the Gemsbok National Park of Botswana and the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park of South Africa joined together. The indigenous people, the San, call the Kalahari Desert “Kgalagadi”, the dried up country. The landscape with red, parallel running sand dunes is home to Oryx antelopes, cheetahs and many other animals who have perfectly adjusted to the harsh living conditions.
Location: Northern Cape & Botswana, 360 km north of Upingto
Size: 38,000 km2
Animals: Lions, cheetahs, leopards, Oryx antelopes
Particularities: First border-crossing nature reserve in Africa
The Kruger National Park is probably the highlight of every South Africa tour. It was established already in 1898 and is the best-known national park of South Africa with an area of about the size of Belgium, it is the largest wildlife reserve in South Africa Visitors can meet the Big Five here, as well as almost all the other animal species that live in South Africa. It is the habitat of white and black rhinoceros, elephants, antelopes, lions, buffalos, zebras, giraffes and many other animals.
Location: Mpumalanga & Limpopo, 400 km Northeast of Johannesburg
Size: 20,000 km2
Animals: Big Five, white and black rhinoceros, giraffes, 17 types of antelopes, more than 1500 lions, more than 500 bird species
Particularities: World-renowned animal paradise
The Madikwe Game Reserve is the fourth largest wildlife reserve in South Africa and features the second largest elephant population. Further, it is known for the rare wild dogs that live here in two large packs.
Location: North West, 140 km northwest of Sun City
Size: 750 km2
Animals: Wild dogs, more than 250 elephants, 350 bird species
Particularities: Malaria-free
The Mapungubwe National Park was declared UNESCO World Heritage for its archaeological sites. On Mapungubwe Hill, there are old cemeteries of a highly advanced culture that achieved great wealth through trade with Egypt, India and China. In a king’s grave, one can see the “Golden Rhino”, the statue of a rhinoceros which, at those times, was a symbol for power and wealth. In addition to these archaeological sites, the park is habitat to the Big Five.
Location: Limpopo, airport Polokwane 200 km
Size: 280 km2
Animals: Big Five, large antelope herds
Particularities: UNESCO World Heritage, archaeological sites
The Namaqua National Park is located in Namaqualand, which is known as a desert-dry territory. However, when rain falls in spring, the landscape transforms into a flower paradise with 3,500 species of plants.
Location: Northern Cape, about 500 km north of Cape Town
Size: 550 km2
Animals: Bat-eared foxes, black-backed jackals, yellow baboons
Particularities: Up to 2027 m high Cedar Mountains, flowers paradise
The Pilanesberg National Park surrounds the 1,687 m high, extinct volcano Pilanesberg. More than 8,000 large animals and 300 bird species live in this park.
Location: North West, near Sun City
Size: 550 km2
Animals: More than 8,000 large animals, 300 bird species
Particularities: Malaria-free, located in an extinct volcanic crater
The Table Mountain National Park covers the region of the Cape peninsula from Signal Hill to Cape Point. Famous parts of it are the Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope. The nature reserve fascinates with its manifold and unique fauna and flora.
Location: Western Cape, near Cape Town
Size: About 250 km2
Animals: Penguins, baboons, antelopes, black eagle, Cape hyrax, and African lynx
Particularities: UNESCO World Heritage, 1086 m high Table Mountain
The Tsitsikamma National Park has been part of the Garden Route National Park since March 2009. Tsitsikamma is a word from the Khoi language and means “clear water”. The park extends along a more than 113 km long coastal stretch with rich underwater flora and fauna.
Location: Eastern Cape, along the Garden Route, 60 km east of Plettenberg Bay
Size: 640 km2
Animals: More than 100 fish species, dolphins, whales, Cape hyrax, baboons, and African lynx
Particularities: 80 % of the park is in the marine area
