Many travelers have discovered the charm and raw beauty of KwaZulu-Natal’s Zululand and Elephant Coast. Whether it’s your first time in South Africa and you are planning an authentic wildlife safari, or you are a Durbanite looking for a weekend escape, Zululand in South Africa’s Zulu Kingdom deserves a spot on your travel bucket list.
It’s about time more local and international visitors made their way to the Zulu Kingdom’s shorelines, vast plains, and rich cultural experiences. It’s the road less traveled but is home to some of the most astonishing wildlife that the beautiful South Africa has to offer.
Map of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa
Exploring Zululand and the Elephant Coast
Located just south of Eswatini (previously Swaziland), between Zululand in the west and the Elephant Coast in the east, AfriCamps at White Elephant Safaris in Pongola Game Reserve is now the perfect link in your South African safari. Expect various traditional Zulu experiences like visiting a rural Zulu village, drinking Zulu beer, tasting Zulu cuisine, witnessing their rituals, or even visiting a Sangoma.
Start your tour in Hoedspruit in the Limpopo Province to experience some of South Africa’s top private big 5 game reserves (the area is often referred to as South Africa’s safari capital). Make your way south to Hazyview, meander through the Panorama Route and view Mpumalanga’s spectacular landscapes. Do not miss a game drive in Kruger National Park before making your way to eSwatini (on Lonely Planet’s list of top 10 countries to visit). Here Hlane National Park, eSwatini’s largest protected area, and Malkerns with its impressive arts and crafts should be on your to-do list. Travel south towards KwaZulu-Natal and check-in at AfriCamps at White Elephant Safaris in Pongola Game Reserve, just south of eSwatini’s Lavumisa border.
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AfriCamps at White Elephant Safaris: A Unique Glamping Experience
AfriCamps at White Elephant Safaris is our first glamping location inside a private game reserve where a range of exciting guided tours await! All tours are conducted by experienced guides, limiting the amount of traffic and maximizing the experience. The game viewing experience in Pongola Game Reserve is unique in the sense that no private vehicles are permitted for game viewing.
AfriCamps at White Elephant Safaris in Pongola Game Reserve offers both land and water-based safaris. With the 15000-hectare Lake Jozini and the Pongola River at our doorstep, we highly recommend the River Boat Cruise and Elephant Research Project Experience. On land, you can take a guided game drive, a guided bush walk, or go rhino tracking with an experienced guide and get an insight into the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project that we take part in.
Top Activities at White Elephant Safaris
- Elephant Research Project Experience: White Elephant Safaris offers a full-day tour that is educational, interactive and visual and gives guests an insightful look into the lives of the reserve’s elephant families.
- Safari boat cruises: White Elephant Safari offers unique water-based safari activities on the 15000-hectare Lake Jozini - the focal feature of Pongola Game Reserve.
- Guided walk: Walking trails are very much a part of the White Elephant Safari experience and a favourite among the more active visitors.
- Tiger fishing/boat hire: Lake Jozini is the most southern lake where tiger fish are endemic. It’s the ideal location for the novice fisherman or expert angler for a tiger fish catch of a lifetime, strictly catch and release, of course.
- Black rhino range expansion project: An adrenalin-raising experience that provides an insight into the rhino’s fascinating world and the WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion Project.
The over population of Elephants in the Pongola Game Reserve - Ron Thomson
Board the boat on the Pongola River early in the morning. Spot Nile crocodile and hippo as you make your way across Lake Jozini to hopefully view the elephants! The elephant researcher uses a telemetry device to monitor the distance of the elephants, allowing you to get to the right spot and await their arrival. One by one you will see the elephants approaching for their daily drink.The program continues in the afternoon when you’ll visit the Elephant Research Centre. Examine elephant sculls, take part in some insightful discussions and debates, and watch the BBC documentary, which explains exactly where our elephants came from and how they got to the shores of Lake Jozini. You’ve already met the elephants face to face, now you’ll get to learn even more about them.
Lake Jozini
Conservation Efforts at Pongola Game Reserve
Pongola Game Reserve and White Elephant Safaris have played a significant role in the conservation of our beloved elephant species (among others) for more than 20 years. One of the beautiful stories to come out of these 20 years is the Space for Elephants Foundation. The reserve’s elephants were transported from Kruger National Park to Pongola Game Reserve because of elephant overpopulation in Kruger. Kruger National Park needed to find new homes for some of its elephant families, and fast. It would be the first time that a whole herd of Elephant was relocated to another reserve.
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Dr. Heinz Kohrs, camp owner at AfriCamps at White Elephant Safaris, had dreamt of re-introducing elephant into the area after an absence of nearly 100 years. He immediately took action to make his dream a reality. The surrounding neighbours had to give written permission and agreements were made to create a biosphere. Since their arrival, the elephants’ behaviour has been closely monitored. Conservationists noticed that the elephant were trying to migrate like they used to centuries ago, when they weren’t confined by fences, and so The Space for Elephants Foundation was born.
During the Elephant Research Project experience, you will find out all about the reserve’s conservation efforts and why it is so important in South Africa today. As soon as you enter the Reserve gates, you are already contributing to the conservation of its wildlife.
Accommodation and Affordability
The Zululand area is dotted with fully catered luxury accommodation, but in December 2019 AfriCamps introduced a slightly different accommodation style to the area. Now you can bring the whole family for a self-catering glamping stay in the Reserve that won’t break the bank. Book a tent in the range of R1290 - R2390 per night sharing, depending on the season of your stay. A stay in the reserve has become affordable, but still includes all the luxuries you need for a comfortable stay.
Each AfriCamps tent has 2 bedrooms, a spacious private bathroom, an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, a large deck with excellent braai facilities and an outdoor wood-fired hot tub next to each tent. The camp is secured with electric fences, but do not be surprised to see nyala and warthog passing your tent.
AfriCamps at White Elephant Safari tent
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Planning Your Visit to Pongola
An easy 3.5-hour drive from Durban takes you to the camp where you can enjoy all your favorite weekend pastimes like boating, fishing, birdwatching, wildlife, or just getting away from the city. So, you’ve explored all the weekend destinations in the area and you’re looking for something new and different… look no further.
Lake Jozini is a popular fishing spot and we have a launch site and jetty available. Guests are welcome to bring their own boats. Africamps at White Elephant Safari will be our second spot in KwaZulu-Natal. Think land and water-based safaris, guided bush walks, tiger fishing on Lake Jozini and being accompanied by Nyala antelope at the pool!
Pongola: A Town of History and Nature
Pongola (also known in Zulu as oPhongolo) is a town on the north bank of the uPhongolo River, in a fertile valley on the N2, near the Lubombo Mountains, in the valleys of Zululand, easily accessible to the Swaziland border posts. It is a unique and tranquil subtropical environment. It has more than 50 km2 of sugarcane and subtropical fruit plantations surrounding it.
During the Depression years of the 1930s, drastic irrigation systems were started in Pongola for sugar cane farms. The town thrived as a result of the canal system and a sugar mill that was built. Pongolapoort Dam and Pongola Game Reserve is to the east.
Pongola Game Reserve and White Elephant Safari tell the story of nature’s amazing ability to restore despite human interference. Wars, drought, and pests came and went which had many effects on the land. One of these effects was the eradication of game on the reserve. In 1993 game re-introductions began. Two elephant herds including one albino (or white elephant) were re-located to the “new” reserve. Today, after 100 years, the sounds of nature rule the lands once again and man aids to support rather than exploit it.
Accommodation Options in Pongola
Here's a quick overview of some accommodation options in Pongola:
| Accommodation | Price (per night) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| AfriCamps at White Elephant Safaris | $119 | Luxurious tent in game reserve with free WiFi, free parking, and private plunge pools. |
| The Guest House Pongola | $35 | 3-star guesthouse with free WiFi, free parking, and breakfast (surcharge). |
| Amakhosi Safari Lodge and SPA | $493 | 5-star luxury lodge with free breakfast, free parking, and 2 outdoor pools. |
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