Kruger’s Entry Price Is About to Jump, but Not for Everyone

South Africa’s national parks agency has set new daily conservation fees that take effect on Sunday, November 1, and run until October 31, 2027. For foreign adults, the headline number is Kruger National Park, where the daily charge climbs from R602 to R692, roughly US$36 to US$42. It is a rise of about 15 percent, and it lands just as many travelers are locking in southern-hemisphere summer safaris.

Kruger is not alone. The Cape of Good Hope section, which includes Cape Point, rises from R515 to R592 a day for foreign adults, while the Boulders penguin colony goes from R245 to R282. Addo Elephant National Park moves from R492 to R565, and the hiking areas of Table Mountain National Park, such as Newlands, Oudekraal, Silvermine and Tokai, go from R200 to R230.

The increases are not evenly shared. South African residents see much smaller rises, with the Kruger rate moving from R134 to R140, about 4.5 percent. Nationals of neighboring SADC countries pay a middle rate, which at Kruger goes from R275 to R296 per adult. Children aged 2 to 11 pay less, though the Kruger child rate still rises from R300 to R345.

For anyone who plans to visit several parks, the agency’s Wild Card is the way to avoid paying the daily fee each time. The International All Parks Cluster card is priced at R4,680, about US$282, for one foreign adult until October 31, 2026, but prices from November 1 have not yet been published. Travelers booking late-year trips may want to check that price before deciding between the card and paying day by day.

Sources: Rio Times, ATTA