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.
The Manyeleti Game Reserve is one of Greater Kruger's best-kept safari secrets — a community-owned reserve with excellent Big Five viewing, fewer vehicles than Sabi Sands, and a rare advantage: all lodges share access to almost the entire traversing area.
Mashatu Game Reserve is located in Botswana's Northern Tuli Game Reserve and shares unfenced borders with South Africa's Mapungubwe National Park to the south and Zimbabwe's Tuli Safari Area to the north, where the game moves freely between the three Southern African countries. The safari experience at Mashatu is an exclusive and intimate affair where visitors can explore the reserve's vast open spaces and rugged scenery on game drives, horseback, on foot or by mountain bike.
Matusadona National Park, located in the heart of Zimbabwe's Zambezi Valley on the shores of Lake Kariba, offers some of the country's most rewarding game viewing opportunities and is often best explored on foot. Walking safaris are the perfect way to investigate the ruggedness of Matusadona's wilderness which ranges from shoreline grassland and mopane woodland to mountain acacia woodland on the escarpment.
Moremi Game Reserve is one of Botswana's best Big Five wildlife destinations. The lodges in the Moremi Game Reserve typically offer a combination of 4x4 game drives and boat trips on the waterways of the Okavango Delta. Excellent land- and water-based game viewing and its close proximity to Maun make Moremi Game Reserve a wonderful Southern African safari destination.
Mpumalanga is one of South Africa's most scenic and safari-rich provinces, best known as the gateway to the Greater Kruger National Park and the dramatic landscapes of the Panorama Route. From warm Lowveld bushveld and Big Five game reserves to escarpment viewpoints, waterfalls and cultural experiences, Mpumalanga is a natural starting point for many first-time safari itineraries in South Africa.
Famous for its arresting desert scenery and outstanding game viewing, Namibia is one of Southern Africa's top travel destinations. Its most captivating attraction, the ancient Namib Desert, presents endless ochre dunes and parched salt pans, while the game-viewing gem of Etosha National Park offers a world-class safari experience. Natural wonders include the Fish River Canyon, Etosha Pan, Sossusvlei, Waterberg Plateau and the fertile Caprivi Strip.
North West Province lies within easy reach of Johannesburg and is home to two of South Africa's best malaria-free safari destinations: Pilanesberg National Park and Madikwe Game Reserve. Bordering Botswana and stretching toward the Kalahari Desert, the region offers accessible Big Five safaris, family-friendly lodges and conservation experiences.
The hot and dry Northern Cape, South Africa's largest province, hugs the Atlantic Ocean to the west and borders Namibia and Botswana to the north. Often referred to as the "Land of Contrasts", the Northern Cape is home to Ai-Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Conservation Park, Augrabies Falls National Park and the wildlife-rich Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park which is a transnational park shared with Botswana.
Straddling Zimbabwe to the east and South Africa to the south, the Northern Tuli Game Reserve is one of Botswana's best-kept safari secrets. Teeming with game and offering some of the best elephant and leopard sightings in Africa, Northern Tuli Game Reserve is the perfect destination for wildlife enthusiasts who are looking for an intimate, personal and uncrowded safari experience in a spectacular setting.
There are few truly wild places left in the world, and Botswana's Okavango Delta is one of them. This vast inland delta is fed by floodwaters from Angola, creating a lush, seasonal oasis that transforms the Kalahari Desert into a haven for wildlife. Remote, water-locked, and teeming with game, the Delta offers one of Africa's most exceptional safari experiences. Whether you're looking for thrilling game drives, tranquil mokoro safaris, or up-close wildlife encounters, this guide covers everything you need to know.
One of Namibia's most exclusive safari destinations, Ongava Game Reserve shares a boundary with Etosha National Park. Dedicated to conserving the area's natural biodiversity, Ongava is home to both black and white rhinos and the rare black-faced impala alongside other large game such as lion, elephant, zebra and giraffe which regularly visit the waterholes dotted throughout the reserve.
The Panorama Route in Mpumalanga is one of South Africa's most scenic road journeys, following the dramatic Drakensberg Escarpment where the Highveld drops sharply into the Lowveld. With canyon viewpoints, waterfalls, forest walks and historic towns, it's a natural extension to a Kruger National Park safari.
Phinda Private Game Reserve is not far from the well-known iSimangaliso/Greater St Lucia Wetland Park in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Phinda offers you abundant wildlife, courtesy of its incredibly diverse habitats. There, a handful of private lodges share excellent game sightings in a 23,000-hectare wilderness. Within easy distance of the warm Indian Ocean and its pristine beaches, Phinda makes for an ideal "bush and beach" safari destination.
Pilanesberg National Park is one of South Africa's most accessible malaria-free Big Five safari destinations, located just 2.5 to 3 hours from Johannesburg. Set within an ancient volcanic landscape in the North West Province, Pilanesberg is especially popular for short safaris, family trips, and travellers looking for a straightforward safari experience close to the city.
Bordering Kruger National Park, the Sabi Sand Game Reserve is South Africa's most established private safari destination, and widely regarded as the best place in the country (and arguably the world) to see leopards in the wild.
Sossusvlei epitomises the exquisite desert experience of Namibia, with its endless sea of dunes. The blazing ochre Sossusvlei dunes rise up to over 320 m tall, making them some of the world's highest sand forms. These forever-shifting dunes, constantly reshaped by the wind into sandy valleys, slopes and peaks, form the ancient Namib Desert. The reds, oranges, yellows and caramel browns of the dunes and the bleached whites and washed-out pastel shades of the pans continuously transform with the turning seasons and the play of light which makes the desert landscapes glow at dusk and dawn.
South Africa is Africa's most visited country and one of the most diverse travel destinations in the world. Often described as "the world in one country", it offers iconic wildlife safaris, vibrant cities, dramatic landscapes and excellent value in a single, easy-to-combine trip.
A sweeping, fertile valley sculpted by the Luangwa River, South Luangwa National Park is best known for its diverse and wealthy wildlife and the superb quality of its guides. It's a great destination for walking safaris and one of the best places to see leopards in the wild. South Luangwa National Park is definitely high up there on the list of favourites among true safari enthusiasts.
Swakopmund may not be the official capital, but it's undoubtedly Namibia's adventure and extreme sports capital. A popular holiday destination, Swakopmund is a coastal city more geared towards tourists than Windhoek. Its appeal includes a pleasant summer climate, the seaside setting, its distinctly German flavour and the myriad adventure activities on offer. Swakopmund is a convenient gateway and ideal stopover for trips heading south into the Namib Desert and the Fish River Canyon; or northwards along the Skeleton Coast into Damaraland and on to Etosha National Park.
The Garden Route is a beautiful stretch of coastline between Mossel Bay and Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) along South Africa's southern Cape. Renowned for its diverse landscapes, it boasts rugged mountains, lush forests, tranquil lakes, winding rivers, and pristine beaches.
The incredible wealth of fauna at the Skeleton Coast will surprise you. Its river courses sustain large species such as Namibia's renowned 'desert elephant', giraffe, black rhino, lion and many smaller species, while the plains have springbok, ostrich and gemsbok in large numbers. It's a fascinating area where interdependent dune-dwelling insects, reptiles and small mammals survive against all odds by getting sustenance from frequent sea fog and wind-blown detritus.
Bordering Kruger National Park, the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve is a vast Greater Kruger wilderness known for its quieter atmosphere, excellent Big Five viewing, and the rare occurrence of wild white lions.
South Africa's largest malaria-free private game reserve, Tswalu Kalahari in the Northern Cape, offers a luxury safari experience against a backdrop of sweeping grasslands, red dunes and towering mountains. Cheetahs, the famous black-maned lions of the Kalahari, white rhinos, desert black rhinos and smaller mammals such as aardvarks, pangolins and African wild cats are some of the game you can expect to encounter on this beautiful game reserve.
Experience the awe-inspiring beauty of Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. This comprehensive travel guide offers insights into the best times to visit, must-do activities, accommodation options, and safari extensions to make your trip unforgettable.
Why not chat to one of our safari experts who can answer all your questions and help you design your dream trip to Africa.
