About Pilanesberg
Pilanesberg National Park, or Pilanesberg Game Reserve as it is often called, covers some 55 000 hectares. Pilanesberg has become a sought-after wildlife destination not only for us locals but on the international market as well. Being in a malaria-free area and perched on the eroded remains of an alkaline volcanic crater.
– one of only three such craters in the world.
The volcano crater in which the National Park is situated formed some 1200 million years ago. Apart from its unique size, shape and rock types, the volcanic origin and resultant weathering of the extinct crater has resulted in a wide variety of landscapes. This provides some of the most spectacular scenery in Southern Africa.
Being a fairly new park if compared to the Kruger National Park and other parks around South Africa. Opened in 1979 after one of the largest game trans-locations at that time to reintroduce the long vanished wildlife species back into the area. Pilanesberg was named after former chief of the area Chief Pilane.
Where is Pilanesberg
Pilanesberg is located adjacent to Sun City, in the Bojanala Region of the North West Province of South Africa within a 3 hour drive from Johannesburg.
Situated in a transition zone between the drier Kalahari and the wetter Lowveld making this area ecologically rich in Fauna and Flora from both areas thus providing a wide range of habitats for Big game animals in a malaria free area.
What You Can Expect to See
Because of this, Pilanesberg has the potential to carry a wider variety of game species than any other similar sized game reserve in Southern Africa. Including the BIG 5: Elephant, White and Black Rhino, Buffalo, Lion and the Leopard.
Pilanesbergs potential for supporting rare and endangered species such as Black Rhino, Tsessebe, foot-and-mouth free Buffalo and Wild Dogs are particularly high. As well as all the general plains game, you will find the Brown Hyena, Cheetah, Hippo and the Crocodile in the Pilanesberg National Park.
What We Offer
We offer a variety of trips to Pilanesberg National Park ranging from Day Safaris Trips, 2 Day Safaris Tours, 3 Day Safaris Tours with various accommodation options on offer.
At Footprints in Africa we also operate Tours to South Africa’s most well known park the Kruger National Park, combine this with one of our Overland Tours to see Swaziland, St Lucia and the Drakensberg Mountains, “the Alps of Southern Africa”.