Your Ultimate Guide to Camping in South Africa

Nov 25, 2025 0

There’s no better way to spend your holiday than going on a South Africa camping safari. Camping in the African wilderness is a once in a bucket-list experience. Camping here feels like you are in another word. There’s nothing but you and raw, beautiful nature.

It has some of the best wildlife viewing you can experience anywhere in southern Africa, and there are so many beautiful landscapes to enjoy as well. South Africa’s astounding array of landscapes - from semi-desert to savanna and snow-capped mountain to coral reef - means it offers a greater variety of wildlife experience than any other African country. This is an incredible country to visit in whatever way you travel.

But camping will give you a whole extra layer of enjoyment by really helping you to feel close to nature. It’s a big and varied country and there’s so much to see here that any trip, camping or otherwise, will require careful planning so that you can make the most of the time you have available. South Africa has a wonderful range of landscapes, a near-perfect climate, and the choice of destinations, activities and itineraries is virtually inexhaustible.

Embark on an epic off-grid adventure with our ultimate 2025 guide to overlanding and camping in Southern Africa. This comprehensive resource covers everything you need for a memorable journey, from detailed country-specific travel guides to essential gear recommendations and expert planning tips.

Overlanding in Southern Africa is a bucket-list experience, offering unparalleled diversity in landscapes, wildlife, and cultures. Southern Africa boasts well-maintained national parks, friendly locals, and endless activities-think wildlife safaris in Zimbabwe, dune climbing in Namibia, or beach camping in Mozambique.

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Camping here feels like you are in another word. There’s no light pollution so the stars are spectacular and you can fall asleep to the sound of lions roaring in the distance or hippos bellowing in the river.

Whilst it’s entirely possible to organise your own trip and book yourself into various campsites either in advance or on arrival, you may also want to book an organised tour through a local company as these offer opportunities to wild camp in which you set-up your tent completely in the wilds of Africa.

Best Time to Visit

Camping safari tours are possible year-round in South Africa, but the best months are usually from May to September. The best time to visit is the dry season (May to October), when roads are more accessible, wildlife is easier to spot, and temperatures are cooler (15-25°C/59-77°F). This is the Dry season in much of the country, especially in the parks of the northeast. During this period, you can expect generally fine conditions and mild daytime temperatures. Although conditions are largely favorable at these times, remember that it can get very cold at night.

Campsite Options

Campsites are dotted throughout Africa, some managed and others not so much. You will find there is a real range of campsites to choose from from sites containing luxury permanent tents (which are more impressive than my house inside!) to empty sites where you can pitch up your own ground tent or vehicle with a roof-top-tent.

“South Africa has an excellent network of campsites across many of its national parks. If you’re camping in one of these rest camps, you can expect good, but sometimes crowded, communal facilities such as toilets and shower blocks. There will be separate bathroom areas for women and men, and most shower facilities have hot water. The best campsites have plenty of shade, but this won’t apply to all sites within a rest camp. The rest camps have fences around them, which keeps out most of the wild animals.

On occasion, especially during the peak months of May to September and December we are not able to secure campsites within the Kruger National Park. In this instance we will camp at a backpackers outside the park.

Essential Gear for Camping in South Africa

A successful overlanding trip in Southern Africa requires the right gear for self-sufficiency and safety. Make sure also that the operator is able to provide a list of all equipment that will accompany you on safari. Some may try to cut corners, but at the very least you should be provided with a tent, sleeping bag, mattress and cooking equipment.

Pack camping essentials like a durable tent (e.g., a rooftop tent for easy setup), a warm sleeping bag (rated for 0°C/32°F for cold nights), lightweight camping chairs, and a portable gas stove with extra fuel canisters. For navigation, bring a reliable GPS device (e.g., Garmin Overlander), detailed paper maps, and a compass as a backup-cell reception can be spotty in remote areas.

Safety gear is crucial: include a comprehensive first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, and vehicle recovery gear like traction mats, a tow rope, and a high-lift jack. Stock up on food and water with non-perishable items (e.g., canned goods, dried fruits, instant meals), a 50-liter water tank, and water purification tablets for emergencies.

Other useful items to pack:

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Active Shoes - Great for long days on your feet and comfort on those trails.
Layers - For camping, a good rule of thumb is to pack for colder temperatures than you're expecting and in layers.
Swimsuit - We'll be hitting the water, so a backup suit is always a good idea.
Sunblock with SPF - Nothing ruins a vacation like a lobster sunburn. Protect your skin from unwanted damage by loading up on SPF.
Protect Your Tummy - Pack some Pepto Bismol and Imodium.
Reusable Water Bottle - Staying hydrated is a recipe for success.
Ear Plugs - Light sleeper?
Local Currency - Make sure to get some local currency. On average, you'll lose around 15% at the airport if you use the currency exchange.
Call Your Bank - Your bank may suspend your card if they suspect unusual activity.

BASIC CAMPING ESSENTIALS: WHAT YOU REALLY NEED

Safety Tips for Camping in South Africa

A South Africa camping safari is generally very safe, and the vast majority of travelers who go on one of these trips have a wonderful time without experiencing any safety problems. However, there is a risk involved. There have been incidents where campers have got into trouble with wildlife.

It isn’t a good idea to just pitch your tent up anywhere in Africa. Each African country has its own regulations about where you can and can’t pitch up. There are numerous factors that can affect your safety whilst camping, for example a managed campsite will be safer than an unmanaged one as there are pairs of eyes keeping watch of the site at all times. Some campsites are actually fenced meaning that animals that may pose a threat to campers cannot get into the campsite. This is not true of every campsite, however.

Crime can be a concern in some South African cities, but is extremely rare in national parks, reserves and rural areas. Even in the cities, most travelers encounter no difficulties. There is also little danger from the animals you’ll be seeing: campsites are fenced and as long as you remain in your vehicle and follow the advice of your guide at all times when out on safari, you should be fine. Outside of national parks, you should never travel on public roads after dark because of the higher risk of traffic accidents and the hazards posed by poorly visible, wandering wildlife and livestock.

Key safety tips:

Having a pair of eyes keeping watch of the campsite is perhaps the number 1 way to keep safe whilst camping. They are experienced at camping in remote areas and are knowledgable about local wildlife and so know exactly what to keep watch for.
I know this isn’t always easy to do - I always need to pee at night! However, if you can help it then don’t.
Believe it or not animals aren’t that interested in campsites, not unless there’s food around. Having food in your tent is the best way to attract unwanted attention from passing animals so it’s best not to have any.
Head-torches are a must when camping in Africa.
If you leave litter or scraps of food around the campsite then you are essentially asking for animals to invade the site in the night.
It is essentially that there are no openings to your tent in the night. Whilst animals aren’t typically interested in tents, you don’t want to go asking for trouble by peaking their interest in a new unexplored hole. Even in the day it is best to keep your tent fully closed.
Animals rarely pose a threat if you treat them with the respect that they deserve, therefore don’t get too close to any wildlife that wanders near your campsite and certainly don’t try to antagonise them.

Additional Information

Border crossing delays in the region have been sporadic and difficult to predict. What takes an hour one day may take four hours the next. This may affect the order of activities in the itinerary.

The minimum age for this trip is 15 at the time of travel. Any travellers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian, or in lieu of a legal guardian, by an escort over the age of 18, appointed by their legal guardian. The legal guardian or their designee will be responsible for the traveller under the age of 18 day to day’s care. If a legal guardian elects to designate an escort in their lieu, they will be required to complete and sign a relevant document, to delegate their authority.

This is a combination trip made up of two shorter trips. This means the composition of your group may change in Victoria Falls as some group members leave and new ones join you.

This trip finishes upon arrival in Johannesburg on Day 18. Please do not book any flights until after 10 pm this evening.

If you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip, you may purchase a single supplement, subject to availability. The single supplement excludes Day 15 (Homestay), where you will be in shared accommodation. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.