Special Report · South Africa
Top Luxury Safaris in South Africa
South Africa is the easiest place to start a luxury safari: short flights, malaria-free options and reliable Big Five sightings in private reserves bordering Kruger National Park. These are the lodges that set the standard.
When to go · May to September (the dry winter) for the best game viewing in the Kruger area; the Kalahari and malaria-free Eastern Cape reserves work well all year.
The Shortlist
1. Samara Karoo Reserve
Great Karoo, Eastern Cape
A 67,000-acre malaria-free reserve pioneering the return of elephant, black rhino, cheetah and lion to the Great Karoo, with luxury Karoo Suites and the Manor.
Best for: Malaria-free Karoo rewilding and cheetah tracking.
Visit official website →2. Singita Sabi Sand
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Ebony, Boulders and Castleton lodges share one of the most famous private reserves in Africa.
Best for: Top-tier design, food and wine with superb leopard sightings.
Visit official website →3. Londolozi
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Family-owned for generations and renowned for its leopard viewing and the Varty family's conservation story.
Best for: Leopard sightings and families.
Visit official website →4. Royal Malewane
Thornybush, Greater Kruger
Antique-filled suites, a deep spa programme and some of the country's most qualified trackers.
Best for: Classic opulence and elite tracking.
Visit official website →5. MalaMala Game Reserve
Sabi Sand, bordering Kruger
One of the largest private Big Five reserves, with a long unfenced border with Kruger National Park.
Best for: Purist game viewing along the Sand River.
Visit official website →6. Lion Sands Game Reserve
Sabi Sand, on the Sabie River
Lodges on the Sabie River plus open-air treehouses for a night under the stars.
Best for: Treehouse sleep-outs and river views.
Visit official website →7. Tswalu Kalahari
Southern Kalahari, Northern Cape
South Africa's largest private reserve, known for meerkats, pangolins, black-maned lions and conservation research.
Best for: Malaria-free safari and rare desert wildlife.
Visit official website →
Useful Links
Common Questions
What is the difference between Kruger National Park and the Sabi Sand?
Kruger is a huge public national park. The Sabi Sand and other Greater Kruger reserves are private, share unfenced borders with Kruger and allow off-road tracking, night drives and far fewer vehicles at each sighting.
Is there a malaria-free safari in South Africa?
Yes — Tswalu in the Kalahari, Madikwe and the Eastern Cape reserves are malaria-free, which makes them popular with families with young children.
How easy is it to combine a safari with Cape Town?
Very easy. Daily flights connect Cape Town with Skukuza, Hoedspruit and Nelspruit, and many lodges arrange light-aircraft transfers straight to their airstrips.
More Country Guides
Top Safaris in Tanzania →Top Safaris in Kenya →Best Lodges Compared →