Malaria Areas and Malaria Prevention

Malaria is a concern for many visitors travelling to Africa. However, the risk of malaria should not stop you from going on safari. Malaria can be prevented and treated.

If you are pregnant or travelling with young children, you may want to avoid malaria areas altogether. The good news is that there are some excellent safari areas in South Africa that are malaria free. For a malaria free safari you can head to Madikwe Game Reserve, Welgevonden Game Reserve in the Waterberg region, or any of the game reserves in the Eastern Cape, including Addo Elephant National Park. We would recommend the Madikwe Game Reserve for a great safari experience without the risk of malaria.

In the Kruger National Park the risk of malaria is low and cases of malaria seldom occur, particularly among tourists. The accommodation at most camps and lodges offer mosquito nets above the bed, or mosquito screens at the windows and doors. Electric fans and airconditioning also help to keep mosquitos away. Most camps and lodges in Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe also have mosquito nets and electric fans, and some have air-conditioning.

The summer months (November to April) are a higher risk time for malaria, due to it being the rainy season. During the dry months from May to October the risk of malaria is low.

Malaria prevention

Your best defense against malaria is effective malaria prevention. Avoid mosquito bites by sleeping under a mosquito net, wearing long sleeve clothing in the evenings, and using insect repellant on exposed skin. It is also advisable to take anti-malaria medication before and during your trip, as prescribed by your travel clinic or GP. With these measures in place, the chances of getting malaria are very low. And if you do get bitten by a mosquito while on safari, don't panic. Less than one in ten thousand mosquitos carry the disease.

If you develop any flu-like symptoms or a fever within 6 weeks after your safari, consult your doctor and inform him that you have been to a malaria area, so they can test for malaria and treat you correctly if necessary.

Malaria Map

The malaria map below shows the malaria areas in Southern Africa.

Throughout Southern Africa there are hundreds of different safari camps and game lodges, in different game reserves. On their websites and in the brochures, they all look great. With so much variety, how do you decide which lodge to visit? How will you know which lodges are best of honeymoon couples, or for families with children? How does the game viewing and accommodation compare from lodge to lodge? That is where our expertise comes in. We make it our aim to visit all the lodges and destinations we recommend, so we can give advice based on personal experience. We also request feedback from our clients, and we keep a close eye on reviews posted on the internet, to ensure we stay up to date about the various camps and lodges. Tell us what your requirements are, and we will recommend the right lodge for you. The lodges we recommend will depend on your interests, budget, game viewing expectations, accommodation requirements, whether you are traveling with children, and so on. Time of year and availability may also play a role. If the lodge of your choice is fully booked, we will know which other similar lodges to recommend, where you will have similar accommodation and game viewing, hopefully at a similar price. So please contact us with your requirements and give us as much detail as possible about your intended safari.

More on the Frequently Asked Questions page

Yes, most safari lodges have mosquito nets hanging over the bed. There are some that don't, but usually there are mosquito screens and the windows and doors. This is also the case in the standard bungalows in South Africa's national parks, like the Kruger Park. Electric fans are also great for keeping mosquitos away, and most lodges and camps have these.

More on the Frequently Asked Questions page

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