South Africa Self-Drive Camping Itineraries

Is It Safe to Self-Drive and Camp in South Africa?

Self-driving and camping can be a safe and incredibly rewarding way to experience South Africa, provided your trip is well planned and you know what to expect. As with travelling anywhere, there are sensible precautions to take, and some areas and driving situations require more care than others.

We use our firsthand experience to help you plan appropriate routes, choose suitable campsites and accommodation, and understand what to expect along the way. We also provide detailed information to help you prepare for your adventure, so you can enjoy the freedom of independent travel with greater confidence.

When camping in areas where wildlife is present, there are additional considerations, and we provide information to help you understand how to camp and behave safely around wildlife.

Why Book Your South Africa Self-Drive Camping Holiday with Travel Africa Your Way?

Camping gives you the freedom to travel independently, but you don't have to work everything out yourself. With more than 30 years of firsthand experience travelling throughout South Africa and across Africa, including by self-drive, we'll help you choose the right routes, destinations, campsites and accommodation for your interests, travel style and budget. Our advice comes from personal experience, helping you enjoy the freedom of independent travel while knowing your trip has been carefully planned.

Trusted Local Operators and Partners

We work with trusted local operators and partners throughout South Africa, giving you the benefit of local knowledge and experienced people on the ground throughout your journey. Wherever possible, we choose partners who share our commitment to responsible and ethical tourism.

Support While You Travel

You're not on your own once you leave Australia. We provide 24/7 in-country emergency support, so there's someone you can contact if you need assistance while travelling. We also provide your detailed itinerary in a TravelKey offline app, giving you useful information at your fingertips while travelling, even when you don't have mobile data or Wi-Fi.

Your Camping Adventure, Your Way

The itinerary above is a starting point rather than a fixed package. We can adjust the route, length of your trip, camping arrangements, accommodation and activities to suit you, or create a completely different self-drive adventure.

Whether you want to camp throughout your trip or combine camping with lodges and other accommodation, we'll help bring the different parts of your holiday together.

What Our Self-Drive Camping Travellers Say

"Our family of four just returned from a month self-drive camping trip from Windhoek to Johannesburg via Botswana and Victoria Falls. I cannot recommend Chris highly enough - he has been extremely helpful and provided excellent route planning and communication through the entire process. The fact that he has travelled to Africa extensively with his own three children really helped dispel any fears about travelling with our own primary aged kids. His input allowed us peace of mind and ease of decision making which was highly valuable as we drove 8000km across countries we were unfamiliar with."
Zoe & Family – Self-Drive Namibia, Botswana & South Africa

Ready to Start Planning Your South Africa Self-Drive Camping Adventure?

Tell us where you'd like to go, how independently you'd like to travel and what you'd like to experience, and we'll use our firsthand knowledge to create a self-drive camping adventure around you.

Contact us to start planning your South Africa self-drive adventure →

Looking for a different way to explore South Africa?

• South Africa Packages – tailor-made package ideas combining different destinations and experiences
• South Africa Tours – small group and privately guided options
• South Africa Self-Drive – Accommodated – explore at your own pace with accommodation arranged
• All South Africa Itineraries – browse the full range of South Africa travel ideas