Comprehensive Guide Collection for Kruger National Park in South Africa

South Africa's premier Big Five safari destination spanning nearly 20,000 square kilometres of savanna wilderness

Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park stands as a cornerstone of African conservation and one of the world's most significant protected areas. Covering nearly 20,000 square kilometres of South Africa's Lowveld region, the park represents a living testament to over a century of wildlife protection efforts. The park's creation was the culmination of decades of gradual recognition by both government and private landowners that the region's wildlife required formal protection. Areas were first protected by the South African Republic government in 1898, and the Sabi Game Reserve was officially established that year in the southern portion of what would become the modern park. Under the leadership of James Stevenson-Hamilton, who served as the first warden from 1902 until 1946, the reserve expanded and developed its conservation mandate. The park officially came into being through the National Parks Act of 1926, which combined the Sabi and Shingwedzi reserves with additional land acquired through innovative land exchanges with private landowners. Today, Kruger operates as part of South African National Parks and welcomes nearly two million visitors annually, combining wildlife conservation with world-class safari experiences. The park's significance extends beyond its borders through the Greater Kruger initiative, which links private reserves to the core protected area, and through its role in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which facilitates cross-border conservation cooperation with neighbouring Zimbabwe and Mozambique.