Southern Africa is one of the most accessible and diverse safari regions, combining strong wildlife viewing with well-developed infrastructure and a wide range of travel styles. The region includes South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia, each offering a different take on the safari experience.
This is where you'll find some of Africa's best-value safaris in South Africa, alongside more remote and exclusive wilderness areas such as the Okavango Delta and Zambia's Luangwa Valley. Southern Africa is also well suited to multi-country itineraries, with destinations like Victoria Falls, Cape Town and the Garden Route easily combined with a traditional safari.
Use this section to explore safari destinations across Southern Africa and compare how different countries, parks and regions fit together when planning your trip.
Addo Elephant National Park offers one of South Africa's most accessible, malaria-free safari experiences. Known for its fantastic elephant sightings and Big 7 game viewing, it's perfect for families, first-time safari-goers, and self-drivers. Located just 30 minutes from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), Addo makes an easy and unforgettable addition to a Cape Town or Garden Route itinerary.
The Balule Nature Reserve is the westernmost private reserve in Greater Kruger, best known for its rugged landscapes, excellent value, and the wildlife-rich corridor of the Olifants River.
Botswana is arguably the world's best safari destination. Here, you will find some of Africa's largest and wildest game reserves with landscapes ranging from semi-desert to forest and dry savannas to watery swamps – all teeming with wildlife. There are hundreds of safari lodges in Botswana, most situated in prime safari areas and priced in US Dollars.
Cape Town is South Africa's most iconic city and one of the country's essential stops. Set beneath Table Mountain between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cape Peninsula, it combines dramatic scenery, world-class food and wine, rich history, and an outstanding range of day tours and outdoor experiences.
The Chobe National Park is one of the most popular game reserves in Botswana. Situated in the far north of Botswana, Chobe includes the Savute and Linyanti regions which are known for high concentrations of lion and elephant. However, Chobe is best known for the Chobe River floodplain, where herds upon herds of animals gather in the dry season between June and October. The game reserve is most easily accessed from Kasane, a town just to the east of the park on the banks of the Chobe River, close to the border with Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls.
South Africa's Eastern Cape blends diverse landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and malaria-free Big 5 safaris with laidback charm. From coastal reserves and historic heartlands to family-friendly safari lodges and crowd-free beaches, it's the ideal add-on to a Garden Route or Cape Town trip — without the hassle or the crowds. Looking for an expertly tailored Eastern Cape itinerary? Reach out to us via the ENQUIRE NOW button.
Etosha National Park is Namibia's top game-viewing destination and is rated as one of the best safari destinations in Africa. Covering some 22,270 square kilometres of dramatic landscapes in northern Namibia, Etosha is home to a rich diversity of wildlife and birds, despite its stark appearance. The open terrain and sparse vegetation are ideal for spotting animals, especially when they congregate at watering holes during the winter months from June to August. The unique Etosha Pan stretches out over about a quarter of the park in an endless dry expanse where mirages rise in the heat. When the rains come, the barren desert transforms into shimmering, shallow lakes.
The Fish River Canyon, in the Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, is where Namibia's longest river makes its way through the biggest canyon in the southern hemisphere. One of Namibia's best-kept secrets, this immense natural wonder can still be admired in more or less crowd-free peace. So vast is the Fish River Canyon that one of Africa's most challenging and beautiful hiking trails takes an arduous five days to walk along a gruelling 86 km (54 miles) section of this 160 km (99 miles) long fissure.
Formerly Hluhluwe–Umfolozi Game Reserve, Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park is the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa (1895) and, for many, certainly the most scenically beautiful reserve in southern Africa. It's also the only state-run park in KwaZulu-Natal province with the Big 5.
Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe's largest and most popular game reserve; arguably the best safari destination in Zimbabwe. There is a wide variety of habitats and vegetation types, including dry Kalahari-type bushveld, mopane shrubland, acacia savanna, huge open grasslands, vast wetlands and teak forests. This diversity attracts a variety of wildlife, making Hwange an excellent choice for an African safari. It's also close to Victoria Falls and the two destinations can easily be combined in one safari itinerary.
This 332,000-hectare park has three major lake systems, eight interlinking ecosystems, 700-year-old fishing traditions, the majority of South Africa's remaining swamp forests, Africa's largest estuarine system, 526 bird species and 25,000-year-old coastal dunes – among the highest in the world. The name iSimangaliso means miracle and wonder, which aptly describes this special and scenic place.
Johannesburg is Africa's most modern city. It is the thriving commercial, financial, industrial, mining, retail and business hub of South Africa. Generating 16% of South Africa's GDP, Johannesburg is one of the world's leading financial centres. Welcome to eGoli, the City of Gold!
Located in the heart of western Zambia, Kafue National Park is the country's oldest and largest national park, covering an impressive 22,400 km² (8,650 mi²). Established in the 1950s by the legendary conservationist Norman Carr, Kafue is a hidden gem, its vast, pristine wildernesses remaining largely unexplored. Despite its proximity to Livingstone, Kafue offers an authentic safari experience with its rich biodiversity and untouched landscapes.
The Kalahari is a malaria-free destination loved by wildlife enthusiasts for its tranquil, immersive and uncrowded safari experience. Several reserves and national parks, such as Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Nxai Pan National Park, provide safari-goers with the opportunity to encounter a wide variety of animals in their natural habitat and the chance to witness breathtaking sunsets and clear starry skies.
With four perennial rivers, this is arguably one of Namibia's most verdant areas and is renowned for its top game-viewing opportunities. You'll have every chance to see elephant, lion, buffalo, cheetah, giraffe and many varieties of antelope. It's also a popular fishing destination and a bird lover's paradise with over 600 species, including some rare endemic birds.
The Klaserie Private Nature Reserve is one of Greater Kruger's most peaceful and low-density safari areas, offering an authentic, unhurried wilderness experience with small lodges, excellent walking opportunities, and very few vehicles in the bush.
The Greater Kruger National Park is South Africa's flagship safari destination and one of the most important wildlife conservation areas in Africa.
The Kunene Region in north-western Namibia is wild, remote and sparsely populated. A transitional area with a distinctive desert region, Kunene has a surprising wealth of desert-adapted wildlife, including the largest population of free-ranging black rhino, elephant, lion, cheetah, leopard, hyena, Hartmann's zebra, springbok and gemsbok (oryx). It's also home to the Damara, Himba and Herero tribes who live in this stark and fascinating 28-million-acre arid expanse.
This vast, unspoiled wilderness area in Botswana's northern region comprises the extensive Kwando/Linyanti River system. Game-rich and scenic, this area is more remote than some of the other game reserves in Botswana. It offers private, informal safaris without any of the restrictions of national parks. Expect night game drives, bush walks, off-road game drives, canoe and mokoro game viewing and even horseback riding safaris.
From Big 5 safaris and rugged mountains to white-sand beaches and rich cultural history, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) offers one of South Africa's most diverse travel experiences. Located on the country's eastern coastline and home to the proud Zulu nation, this vibrant province rewards visitors with world-class game viewing, warm Indian Ocean waters, dramatic landscapes, and fascinating battlefields. Whether you're a first-timer or seasoned safari-goer, KZN delivers a perfect blend of nature, wildlife, history, and adventure.
Straddling a portion of the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, Lake Kariba is the world's largest man-made lake. Its creation provided perfect conditions for wildlife in Matusadona National Park, located on a section of its shore on the Zimbabwean side, to thrive. Game viewing along Lake Kariba's shoreline can be done by houseboat, canoe or boat, and from inside Matusadona on foot; preferably with an expert guide. The roads are rough and gruelling and 4x4 vehicles are required.
Lower Zambezi National Park is found in a vast valley created by a huge rift in the Earth's crust through which the mighty Zambezi River flows. The mineral-rich deposits from ancient volcanoes deposited here over millennia have created a lush, tropical paradise for a large assortment of vegetation and wildlife, mirrored on its opposite banks by Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
Madikwe Game Reserve is one of South Africa's top malaria-free Big Five safari destinations, especially popular with families travelling with children. Set near the Botswana border in North West Province, it offers exclusive lodge-based game viewing, excellent predator sightings, and some of the country's best chances of seeing African wild dogs.
Mana Pools in northern Zimbabwe is one of the few wilderness areas where it's possible to explore on foot (either guided or on your own) or by canoe. Roads are few and far between so game driving is by 4x4. It's a pristine, unspoilt paradise, with abundant game, spectacular scenery and an incredible variety of birds.
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