South Africa got its name because it is the southernmost country in Africa—there is not much creativity in the name there, but the culture in the country is vivid and full of creativity, from the colorful clothing of its people and its cuisine. The country enjoys a multi-ethnic society, which explains the different cultural influences.
South Africa is one of the most popular African countries. Based on tourism, it is the second most popular country in Africa, enjoying around 9.5 million tourists from around the globe every year. But it is not just the places that make Africa popular; it is also its people. Nelson Mandela is probably the most famous South African in the world. He was an influential leader, a respected president, and a philanthropist known around the world. He was also a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Fellow South African, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, is also a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Incidentally, he and Mandela once called Vilakazi St. in Soweto, home.
South Africa has a territorial area of 1.2 million square kilometers (296 million acres) and is also the world’s mining capital. Around 90% of the world’s platinum is mined in South Africa. Around 80% of manganese is also mined in this country. It is also home to the world’s oldest mountain, Table Mountain. It is home to around 58.8 million people.
Like most African nations, South Africa has an abundance of animals that people from other nations only see in zoos: lions, elephants, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, among many others. So tourists must drop by the country’s national parks to experience true wilderness and see wildlife up close. Here are the top 10 unexplored national parks in the nation:
1. Augrabies Falls National Park
Centered around Augrabies Falls, which falls on the Orange River, the largest one in South Africa, this park is located in Northern Cape Province. The 60-meter waterfall is flanked by a rocky gorge. The waterfall is exhilarating. Those interested in swimming should be careful with the current. The canyon’s water system, though, is great for kayaking or white water rafting. The rugged landform is also great for multi-day hikes.
The topography of the area is arid, which is why there is sparse vegetation. There are giant aloe trees in the park, though, which have adapted to the desert soil. The park also has some Shepherd’s trees, which is considered sacred among the Khoi and San communities.
Despite sparse vegetation, several animals live in the park. Some baboons enjoy the aloe trees, which are also popular among a few species of birds. The endangered black rhinoceros can be seen roaming around the park, while gemsbok and springbok can be seen grazing. While rare, the following have also been spotted in the park: African wild cat, bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal, Cape clawless otter, and caracal. Africa’s largest lizard, the water monitor, can also be seen near the park’s water system.
2. I Ai- I Ais / Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
Straddling the border between South Africa and Namibia, the park was formed in 2003 by consolidating Namibia’s I Ai- I Ais Hot Springs Game Park, and South Africa’s Richtersveld National Park. The park is jointly managed by the two countries.
The park generally comprises of high mountains and rugged terrains. But the plant species in the park is thriving, allowing this area to be labeled as a unique mega-ecosystem. Several unique plants in the park can survive only within the park's vicinity.
3. Bontebok National Park
As the name suggests, this park was established in 1931 to protect the population of bontebok. It may be the smallest national park in South Africa, but a significant one. The bontebok is a kind of antelope native to Africa, particularly in Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa. The bontebok’s natural habitat is the shrubland, but it has already been considered extinct in that ecosystem. That was because there was a time when the bontebok was killed because they are considered pests, eating plants indiscriminately. At one point, the wild bontebok population stood at 17. This is why this national park is extremely important in revitalizing its population.
The park, though, because of its small area: only 27.86 square kilometers (688,435 acres), could only support around 200 bonteboks. More than that could result in disaster when it comes to the park’s plant life. The rest were transferred to private owners who could provide a sustainable habitat for them. The park hosts some 500 species of grass and other plants. It also hosts other animals besides the bontebok. Among them are the African clawless otter, cape grysbok, Cape mountain zebra, duiker, gray rhebok, red hartebeest, secretary bird, Stanley’s bustard, and the blue crane, which is the national bird of South Africa.
There are no predators in the park, which means it is a great place for visitors to have a picnic. They can also swim, fish, and kayak in the Breede River. Hiking is always a popular activity in any park and the Bontebok National Park is no different. There is also a nine-kilometer mountain bike trail within the park.
4. Camdeboo National Park
This park was established in 2005 with the help of the World Wide Fund for Nature in South Africa, which wanted to create a park that centers around the Karoo Nature Reserve, which was established in 1979. So the reserve was integrated with the Graaff-Reinet region to become a huge protected land.
The Karoo is a significant desert because it has a well-preserved ecosystem that hosts many fossils. The arid topography anchors xerophyte vegetation comprising aloes, crassulas, desert ephemerals, euphorbias, mesembryanthemums, and stapelias.
Not a lot of animals live in the park. Tourists might come across herds of sheep. So the centerpiece of the park is the desert and the different plants that survive in such dry conditions. However, there are certain times when it becomes a route for a large springbok migration. The time of migration is very unpredictable, though, so only the lucky visitors would be able to catch it. Because there are not a lot of resident animals in the park, predators are also rarely seen. Very rarely, black-backed jackal, caracal, leopards, and martial and Verreaux’s eagles can be spotted in the park.
Another attraction in the park is the Valley of Desolation, which comprises large rock formation or inselberg within the park.
5. Garden Route National Park
This is a coastal park best known for its indigenous forest. The park was established in 2009 by combining several protected areas in the area. Among them are the Tsitsikamma National Park, Wilderness National Park, and the Knysna National Lake Area.
The Tsitsikamma section features a beautiful coastline, the forest with mostly native vegetation, and the Otter Trail, a popular hiking trail within the Garden Route. It got its name because hikers can see a lot of Cape clawless otters in this multi-day hike. The other section, as the name implies, is a wilderness. This section also protects indigenous forests.
6. Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Sandstone cliffs stand tall in this park providing a majestic vista. It is a uniquely South African park in the sense that it is hailed for its natural beauty more than its abundance of wildlife. The Brandwag Buttress is an imposing sandstone structure that reflects different colors. The centerpiece, though, is the Golden Gate, which refers to the sandstone cliffs flanking the valley.
While tourists visit this park for its natural landscape, it wouldn’t be an African park without animals. Among the resident animals are the black wildebeests, blesboks, Burchell’s zebras, elands, mountain reedbucks, oribi, and springboks. The area used to have the Big 5 but they became extinct. Instead of reintroducing them, authorities decided to introduce other animals instead: sungazer lizard and water mongoose.
Over 210 species of birds were also identified in the park. Among the important birds in the park are the blue crane, which is the country’s national bird; the rare bearded vulture, and the endangered bald ibis and cape vulture. Seven snake species were also found in the park including the mountain and puff adders as well as the rinkhals.
7. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Three contiguous parks make up a large wildlife preserve and conservation in the southern part of Africa. The Kalahari Gemsbok National Park is in South Africa while the Gemsbok National Park is located in Botswana. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is on the border of South Africa and Botswana. Together, the area covers 9.4 million hectares. Most of the area, though, is in Botswana.
Since the parks are mostly within the Kalahari Desert, dunes dominate the terrain. The riverbeds are dry and vegetation is sparse. There are, however, grasses and camel thorn trees, which grow in the river beds. Dry as they may be, underground water keeps the plant alive. Among the predators that call the park home, are the African leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and lions. The park is also a migratory route for herds like elands, hartebeests, springboks, and wildebeests.
The parks were generally established to protect the gemsbok population in the area. In the early 1900s, gemsbok was a popular poaching target.
8. Marakele National Park
This mountainous massif is part of the Waterberg Biosphere, which is characterized by mountains covered with deciduous forest. This is a great place to enjoy wildlife as the park hosts the big five: buffaloes, elephants, leopards, lions, and rhinoceroses. The buffalo previously became extinct in the park but their population was rejuvenated in 2013. Antelopes can be seen in the Limpopo Province, inside the park.
There are also 250 species of birds documented in this park, established in 1994. It also hosts the largest colony of Cape griffon vultures in the world with 800 breeding pairs. This type of vulture is endemic to southern Africa. Aside from South Africa, they also thrive in Botswana, Lesotho, and northern Namibia. This bird has been considered an endangered species since 2015.
The Matlabas River is a major river that runs through the park.
9. Mokala National Park
Located in Northern Cape, the park is named after the camel thorn that is prominent in the park. In Setswana, camel thorn is called mokala. There are also some puzzle bushes and umbrella thorns in the park. But while it was named after a plant, wildlife is really what makes this park interesting. The park is home to diverse species of animals such as aardvarks, black-backed jackal, black and blue wildebeests, common warthogs, elands, gemsboks, giraffes, impalas, kudus, mountain reedbucks, plains zebras, red hartebeests, roan and sable antelopes, Southern African ground squirrels, Southern African hedgehogs, springboks, tsessebe, and white rhinos.
The park is also home to a large variety of birds, many of which are endemic to the park and South Africa.
The park is also culturally significant as some rock engravings can be found within the park, which is believed to be made by the San people known as the bushmen, who are among the first inhabitants of Africa. The park also witnessed some bloodshed back in the day, as it was a part of the battlefield during the Anglo Boer War (1899 – 1902).
10. Tankwa Karoo National Park
The park is one of the aridest regions in the entire country. There is sparse vegetation, mostly comprising shrubland. But it hosts some unique succulents: Braunsia, Didymous, and Tanquana. Despite sparse vegetation, diverse species of animals are living in the park.
The animals found in the park are the following: aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal, Cape fox, cape golden mole, cape hare, caracal, chacma baboon, four-striped grass mouse, gerbil mouse, gray duiker, gray rhebok, house mouse, Karoo bush rat, klipspringer, kudu, leopard, meerkat, scrub hare, small-spotted genet, South African wildcat, springbok, steenbok, and yellow mongoose.
There is also a large bird population in the park. Birding enthusiasts should visit the park from August to October when the bird population is at its most vibrant.
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