South Africa is an amazing place, full of diverse landscapes, amazing beaches, national parks, mountains and delicious food. South Africa had been on my wishlist for longer than anywhere else in the world. It’s got a bit of everything - wildlife, beaches, mountains, wine regions, and its wildlife, wine and beautiful landscapes make it a real wish-list destination.
Prior to visiting South Africa, one of the assumptions I had was that safaris were expensive. I also hadn’t realized how different the landscapes were going to be. However, planning this trip with my partner (who has travelled to Africa several times) helped me figure out how to do this trip without blowing too much money. This is how we did it!
The only downside is the long journey from the UK. But if you can find a good flight deal, the value of the rand (with 100 rand getting you £4.80/$5.50/€5.60) makes it an affordable place to visit. But how much does it really cost to visit South Africa?
Note: these costs are based on my mid-range travel style - keeping costs down where I can to splash out on special experiences. Planning an incredible getaway to South Africa? We felt the same before our first visit. And we’re sharing all of this with you so you can plan the most epic vacation.
Explore South Africa on a Budget Affordable Travel Tips
Key Factors Affecting the Cost of Your South African Adventure
Several factors influence the overall cost of your trip to South Africa. Understanding these can help you tailor your budget effectively:
Read also: Budgeting for Africa Travel
- When You Visit: This plays a large impact on the cost of flights and lodging depending on where you go.
- Travel Style: Yes, this will certainly affect the price of hotels in a city, but it will definitely affect your budget when you go on safari, as you can do anything from an all-inclusive luxury lodge to actually camping.
- Currency: South Africa uses the South African Rand. This is worth about $0.05 USD per R1 or R20 per $1 USD.
Research and Planning: Laying the Groundwork for Your Trip
There are a few ways how you could do research for any trip. Everyone has their own method to the madness. No two maps will ever be identical. You may have your own interests or a different way of categorizing pins.
- Travel agencies: A classic way to find information about your destination.
- Blogs: Discover how other people did it, their opinions on it, what’s recommended, the local nuances, and how to get around. I interact with the content and once I find the geotag of an attraction, I pin it on my map.
- Books, publications and tv shows: Before heading somewhere, it is almost tradition for me to watch an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations or Parts Unknown of the place I’m visiting. It helps give me a sense of what sort of food to expect or local dishes that I should give a go.
Flights: Getting to South Africa
As mentioned with getting into South Africa, we had to decide how to efficiently visit places that were on our list. Driving vs. Internal flights or a combination? As my partner and I both work full time, we only had a limited amount of days we could take. Our time frame was 10 working days off (~15 days including weekends).
Round-Trip Flight to Johannesburg or Cape Town Cost: Between $1,000-4,000+ per person if you’re using cash, or less than $100 per person if using points. There are two main hubs for international flights, especially from Europe - Cape Town (CPT) and Johannesburg (JNB). How our overall itinerary would flow depended on the price of flights.
- Fly in and out of CPT.
- Fly in and out of JNB.
We decided with flying into CPT and out of JNB, while the flights were slightly more than flying in and out of JNB. However, we would save money on domestic flights/car rental options. This can certainly vary based on where you’re coming from, if you want to upgrade, if you’re using points, etc. For someone flying from a smaller US city, expect to pay cash of around $1,300+ for a round-trip ticket to Johannesburg or Cape Town. The only downside is the long journey from the UK.
Internal Flights and Transportation
Now that you know the cost to get to South Africa, let’s talk about getting around. Starting off is flights around the country. You can find several flights around the country from places like Johannesburg to Hoedspruit (for safari) or to Cape Town for about $100 each way. Once you’re at your destination, you can take an Uber around places like Cape Town.
Read also: Is Jamaica Worth the Hype?
Be sure to get Uber Black, as that’ll ensure that you have a more reliable car. Lastly, there is also the option to rent a car and drive yourself. For a rental car, expect to pay around $25+ per day. Cost to Get Around South Africa: This could be as little as $400-675 per person for transportation around South Africa.
Tip: Safari lodges may offer an additional airport pick up from HDS but at a quite high fee. For some places, this fee was higher than renting a car and dropping it off at a different location so the decision started to be pretty clear for us. This is a list of internal flight carriers that I found during my research. Before booking flights, compare which flights - timings/pricing/inclusions makes sense for you.
- Airlink - This is who we decided to fly with. The flight timings made the most sense for us and you could get flights between CPT and HDS and HDS to JNB.
- South African - The Flag Carrier of South Africa.
There are a few options, however, we went with one of the international car rental companies as while booking accommodation, we got a really good deal (it was cheaper than booking it independently) and went for it.
Accommodation Options and Costs
South Africa offers a wide variety of accommodation options, from budget-friendly camps to ultra-luxury lodges. As mentioned, you’ll be getting some real bang for your buck in South Africa, especially if you’re traveling on the US Dollar. Hotels are of exceptional quality and are affordable compared with other destinations, making it possible for even mid-range vacationers to stay in ultra-luxurious hotels.
When it comes to hotel prices in Cape Town, these can vary based on which hotel you choose. For a more budget-friendly hotel but in a good area, opt for the Old Foundry Hotel for $95 per night. For mid-range travelers, check out the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront for about $350 per night. You can also stay at the Peech Hotel in Johannesburg for around $250 per night. And for luxury travelers, opt for the 12 Apostles Hotel & Spa in Cape Town for around $500 per night.
Read also: Essential Morocco Travel Guide
However, with tourists bounding into the country at peak times, certain establishments in areas like Cape Town hike up prices to meet the wealth of those visiting.Naturally, certain areas are more expensive than others. For example, a house on the beach at Clifton in Cape Town could set you back $600 per night (because of its prestigious location); however, a similar house just a few miles south in Kommetjie would cost about half the price.
Similarly, any house rental in Cape Town will be significantly more expensive than renting a house in Plettenberg Bay, another beautiful beach town up the east coast. So, I advise weighing up what is most important to you and picking and choosing your destinations according to your South African budget.
Another tip is to avoid travel during the busiest months, when accommodation is in high demand. Cape Town is busiest in mid-summer, with the highest prices between Christmas and New Year in December. The entire summer season, between November and March, is the most expensive time to visit this city. On the other hand, Durban gets most of its tourists in winter (May to July), when the weather is mild but still warm. Game reserves are busiest during their wet season between May and October, as this is when game viewing is at its best. While you don’t want to visit too far out of season, traveling in shoulder season is ideal.
Safari Costs: An In-Depth Look
Holy mamma, there are so many different ways plan and do a safari. My only conception of safaris were that they were expensive. However, researching for this trip, the prices definitely can range - from DIY options, simple tenting lodges to the bougiest lodges. There’s something for everyone with varying budgets. This was by far the biggest single thing to budget for in our trip. We wanted to see different areas of the famous Kruger National Park and opted to see the Greater Kruger National Park.
Now if you choose to go on a tour like with Intrepid to Kruger National Park, you can pay around $1,238 for a safari. And for a luxurious stay at a 5-star resort like the Lion Sands Ivory Lodge, you can expect to pay upwards of $2,050 per person, per night. Cost of a Safari in South Africa: This can vary between $1,238-6,150 per person for 3 nights/4 days on safari in South Africa. For a couple, this equals $2,476-12,300.
The only difference between the “actual” Kruger and Greater Kruger is that the reserves surrounding the Kruger are a collection of privately owned land. The animals are allowed to roam between Kruger and Greater Kruger freely. If you want to visit Kruger National Park instead of Greater Kruger, keep in mind that there are only a handful of lodges and rest camps located inside the national park and they tend to be pricy.
Detailed Breakdown of Safari Lodges Visited
Motswari Reserve
This was such a lovely way to experience my first safari. The property sits in the Timbavati Private Reserve in Greater Kruger National Park. Each guest gets a private hut to stay in and their hospitality was absolutely amazing. Meals and game drives are included in the price. From the entry gates of Timbavati, it takes approximately 45mins to arrive at the property.
During the day, the Motswari staff held talks - the one we attended was about the rhinos and it was a fantastic discussion about how education plays a vital part in educating locals and foreigners about conservation. There was also a pool on the property to cool down in overlooking a watering hole so your safari never truly ends even when you’re not on a game drive!
The Motswari staff are some of the friendliest. Before the meals, they performed a local dance to give thanks to the food and would alternate between having dinner on the grass near the viewing deck or BBQ-styled dinner in one of the many places. As there are no fences surrounding the lodge, at night, guests are required to be escorted back to their huts by a member of staff because you never know what may be nearby!
Bundox Explorer Camp
A completely different experience to Motswari! This property sits in the Olifants Private Reserve and the accommodations are more back to basics. There are 4 permanent tents, equipped with electricity. So this lodge is a lot more intimate. The entire camp runs off the grid utilizing water catchers and solar panel to supply electrician. Even the showers are bush-styled showers with hot-water-on-demand but with running cold water at all times. The property definitely prides itself on its sustainability.
A unique thing about this property is the Hide Out where guests can sit in for a couple of hours in the afternoons and observe life around one of the watering hole. There is a farm styled pool with a viewing deck overlooking one of the watering holes in front of the property. We spotted elephants while we were cooling down in the pool! It was such an amazing experience.
On the viewing deck, the alcohol service is based on a trust system with you writing down how much beers or spirits you’ve taken. There was so many amazing micro experiences we had here. Amazingly, we were the only people staying at the camp! Apart from the staff, of course. So all our game drives, meals and overall experience was essentially private.
Food and Drink: Savoring South African Flavors
Food and drink - especially local wine - is really good value in South Africa, and we had some great, inexpensive meals. In Cape Town we tried to keep to a budget so we mixed up making our own breakfasts and dinners with eating out at lunchtime. We did a couple of food shops at Woolworths and a local wine store, which came to a total of 1150 ZAR (£59/$64/€65). We also went out for cocktails in Camps Bay and Sea Point (358 ZAR/£17/$20/€20).
On the other hand, you could spend about $35-40 per person for a really nice dinner with drinks. Lunch is likely $10-15 for a main dish and drink. Cost of Eating and Drinking in South Africa: Between $210-700 per person for 7 days exploring the cities and towns of South Africa.
All our food was included on board the Premier Classe train and at the game lodge, but drinks were extra. We paid a bargain 180 ZAR (£9/$10/€10) for two bottles of wine on the train, and 560 ZAR (£27/$31/€32) for drinks over three nights at Naledi Bushcamp. Finally, we had a room service dinner in our hotel in Johannesburg as we arrived there late at night (498 ZAR/£24/$28/€28).
Activities and Day Trips: Exploring South Africa
Most of the things we did in Cape Town were free - walking along the coast, listening to music at the V&A Waterfront, lazing in parks, visiting free museums. We did pay for a one-day ticket for the sightseeing bus for 275 ZAR (£13/$15/€16) which we used to travel down the coast to Camps Bay and get to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, where entry costs 210 ZAR (£10/$12/€12).
Because the weather was really windy when we were in Cape Town, we couldn’t do two of the city’s biggest attractions - the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (395 ZAR/£19/$22/€22 for a return trip) and the boat trip to Robben Island (600 ZAR/£29/$33/€34). For example, say that you’d like to stay in Cape Town and do some day trips, you’ll want to budget for that. These are all things to budget for your South Africa trip.
We also took a couple of day trips from Cape Town. The first was a private wine tour to Stellenbosch and Franschhoek for 1650 ZAR (£80/$91/€93). It included visits to four wineries, and was well worth the cost for the amount of tasting samples. All activities at the game lodge were included in the price, with twice-daily game drives plus an afternoon walk or trip to a hide.
Additional Expenses to Consider
There are a few additional costs to consider when planning your trip to South Africa:
- Travel Insurance: This is optional, but it may actually be required if you’re booking with a safari planner. It is a good idea either way to purchase travel insurance, especially if you’re going to be going on a safari. It helps to have pretty good insurance so you don’t lose money if you have to cancel.
- Tipping: I could write a whole guide about this, and I do include a safari tipping guide in this post, but you’ll need to tip your guide, driver/tracker, transfer driver, butler, hotel staff, porter, etc. while you’re in South Africa. Tips are extra though - articles I read say you should tip 200-250 ZAR per day to your guide, 100-150 ZAR to your tracker and lodge staff. We ended up tipping 1200 ZAR (£58/$66/€68) in total (mainly based on how much cash we had left on us at the time - remember to stock up).
- Souvenirs: You’ll definitely want to save up a little for souvenirs to bring home!
Example Budgets for Different Travel Styles
For more budget-ish travelers visiting South Africa, plan to spend around $4,513 for a solo traveler, or $8,211 for a couple. For mid-range travelers, the cost of a trip to South Africa can look more like $6,970 for a solo traveler or $11,640 for a couple. Lastly, for luxury travelers, you can expect to spend upwards of $16,295+ for a solo traveler, or $28,765+ per couple on your trip to South Africa cost.
Our Trip: A Practical Example
Embarking on this remarkable journey through Cape Town, Franschhoek, and a thrilling safari in Greater Kruger National Park, we managed to strike a balance between adventure and budget. While not the thriftiest escapade, our spending remained reasonable, affording us the freedom to tailor the trip to our desires. £132.50 per person per day, covering 2 x Game Drives, Full Board, all non-alcoholic drinks, and accommodation. A slightly higher cost, but as we were here during the weekday, we were so lucky that there was no one else around and it was just us.
Total Cost for the trip (excluding international flights - because this depends where you would be flying from) was - drum roll please: £2345 for both of us or £1173 per person. To break it down even further, £83.70 per day. Of course, this may not be the cheapest holiday or even the most budget way to visit South Africa but it is quite an affordable option to kick off your South African adventures.
So how much does it cost to visit South Africa? The overall cost for our 10-night South Africa trip came in at £1537/$1746/€1785 per person, excluding flights (which were around £500 return from the UK). A safari’s such a bucket list trip it’s worth splashing out on and South Africa’s affordability means you can save on other things so the overall budget doesn’t get too out of control.
Tips for Saving Money
Lower budget? The easiest way to save money would be to cut safari costs by staying in a SANParks lodge or camp. They’re state-owned so are more no-frills, but the locations are fantastic and you can either drive yourself around the park or join their ranger tours.
Indulge in Luxury
Higher budget? If you want to splash out, Cape Town has gorgeous beachside hotels, as well as high-end restaurants and activities like helicopter trips over the city.
Popular articles:
tags: #Africa
