Safari Packing List South Africa For This Year

This complete safari packing list tells you exactly what to pack for South Africa safari on a budget. 

Our easy guide on safari packing list South Africa provides an essential safari packing list ideal for planning your first safari in South Africa and honing your packing skills.

Let’s start with the essential items to pack for safari trips before we go into more details (like the nice-to-haves, what to wear on an African safari, packing no-nos, and more).

Start your South Africa safari here

Essential Safari Packing List South Africa

These are the most important things to take on safari with you. You do not want to forget to pack these items. In fact, you won’t be going anywhere without some of them.

1. Passport with all the required visas for every country your African safari travels to and through.
2. Some cash and bank cards (Forex and/or Credit Card). You can also use e-wallet apps these days to avoid carrying cards and cash.
3. Air tickets and travel vouchers for any pre-booked safari tours.
4. Vaccination certificates (yellow fever
5. Medication: malaria prophylactics if advised and any personal medication as prescribed by your doctor.
6. Travel insurance policy details. Your policy number and the contact details for claims and emergencies.
7. Cell phone. Most globetrotters travel with a smartphone to stay in touch with family and friends, connect to Wi-Fi,  visas, prescriptions, and passports. 
8. A hard copy of your most important for emergencies.
9. Copies of your important documents: as a precaution take a copy of your air tickets, travel insurance policy, vaccinations,rtant contact numbers in case you lose your phone.

Important Items to Pack for South Africa Safari

Take the following items from the safari packing list with you for the best South African safari experience. These are the things to pack for a happy safari trip.

1. Sun protection

• Sunblock – an eco-friendly sunscreen.
• A sun hat
• Sunglasses are excellent for keeping dust and small flying insects out of your eyes, as well as the blazing African sun.

2. Insect repellents

• Eco-friendly insect repellent lotion or body spray/mist and Eco-friendly insect spray or citronella products to deter the critters.

3. Head torch

• Torch or headtorch. It gets really dark out in the bush at night so you need a light source to navigate your way after dark. The headtorch is best as it leaves your hands free to do stuff.

4. Day backpack

• A bag for day trips and excursions will come in very handy (a real must on the safari packing list South Africa).
• You may want to take a money belt (also known as a moon bag, fanny pack, and bum bag) for travel in cities.

5. Hand sanitizer

• Hand sanitiser (spray or gel) has become an important item to pack for safaris. Most places you go will have hand sanitiser but it is best to carry your own just to be safe.
• Sanitizer is great for keeping fresh and healthy on the road, especially if access to clean water is limited. Wet wipes are also handy but less eco-friendly so use them sparingly.

Safari Packing Tips for Important Items

1. When it comes to choosing a sun hat, go with functionality over form. Take a snug-fitting peak or one of those typical safari hats that compliment khaki shorts and protect your neck too. A round-brim hat with a drawcord to keep your hat on in windy conditions is best.

See Also: Top 18 Things to Do in Antananarivo Madagascar This Year

2. Insect repellent does not replace the need for anti-malaria medication! Packing insect repellents is recommended in conjunction with malaria prophylaxis, especially in high-risk malaria areas. Not getting bitten and bugged by mosquitoes also makes travelling far more pleasant, but taking anti-malaria medication is the most essential part so check if you need to take precautions well in advance.

3. Headlamps are ideal as you still have both hands free to do stuff. Plus you can get headlamps with red lights for watching nocturnal animals without chasing them away. (Remember extra batteries or get a USB rechargeable head torch and remember to pack the charging cable).

Click here to enjoy Crocodile cruise during your stay in South Africa

What to Wear on a South Africa Safari

Knowing what to wear on safari is important because it will affect your levels of comfort. The overall recommendation is to pack clothes that are comfortable, durable, and functional. 

• A lightweight long-sleeved shirt or two – these keep the sun and insects out and help you stay warm during cool morning and evening periods.
• Closed shoes – for walking in the bush or in wet conditions.
• Open shoes – lightweight, slip-on shoes for around camp and at the pool and beach. Avoid heels.
• Long pants and/or shorts – I recommend long pants to protect your legs from scratchy bushes (if walking in the wild) and insect or tick bites. 
• A jacket – usually a lightweight, rainproof jacket will be enough for cool nights.
• Take natural and light-coloured clothing – avoid the glaring primary and neon colours that get you spotted first. Black garments will get you baking in the sun, while white clothes will create glare and become brownish soon anyway.

Safari Packing Tips for Clothes on South Africa Safari

• Pack light. Don’t overdo it when packing clothes for your safari!
• Activewear and outdoor clothing and gear will serve you well on safari in Africa. Think, comfortable, breathable, and long-lasting.
• Avoid bright primary colours and neons. Opt for muted tones (beige, khaki, pastel green, light blue, etc) instead.  

Recommended Items for Your Safari Packing List South Africa

You’ll kick yourself if you forget to take these handy things on the safari packing list South Africa.

• Binoculars – you don’t want to wait to share binoculars, because by the time it’s your turn the action is often over. Take your own binoculars, even night vision binoculars if you can!
• Digital camera – with memory card ports supporting SD cards.
• Charging devices – The correct plugs or adaptors for the areas your safari visits and all of your chargers, batteries, and device power cables.
• Camera storage devices – enough memory for a bazillion photos! Take extra memory space along.
• A warm hat (aka a beanie) – early mornings and evenings can get chilly, especially on game drives so take a warm hat.
• Toiletries (don’t forget sanitary wear). Take biodegradable toiletries with you if your safari travels into the bush, especially to pristine natural areas.
• Swimwear – costumes for refreshing dips in the camp swimming pools, waterfalls, rock pools, lakes, oceans, etc.
• Comfortable shoes. Sensible shoes for walking in – avoid big boots as these are heavy, space-gobblers.

Safari Packing Tips for Recommended Items

• Pack your toiletries and devices in wet bags to ensure that they stay dry. 
• Keep your camera in your daypack/on you.
• Decant your toiletries into smaller containers to save space (shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser, etc).

Useful Things to Pack for South Africa Safari

• Wet bags – so handy, a great way to waterproof items and keep snacks fresh and safe from creatures and the elements.
• Antiseptic cream – a multi-purpose ointment for minor scratches, bites, and burns (like Zam-buk).
• Lip ice – being outdoors in often hot and dry places, lip ice is great for preventing and soothing chapped lips.
• Guides/apps
• Sarong or kikoi – always useful when travelling. Used as a scarf, an extra layer for warmth, to keep the sun and mosquitoes off your skin, as a picnic blanket or lightweight towel or small pillow, and more.
• Reusable shopping bags – handy for carrying things on day trips, boat rides, beach outings, and market visits. Fabric shopping bags are great alternatives to plastic bags which are banned in many African countries.
• Earplugs to block out noise when you need to sleep or zone out.

What You Shouldn’t Pack for South Africa Safari

• Single-use plastic
• Items prohibited by airlines, check your airline regulations (seeds, plants, certain foods, etc).
• Disposable water bottles. Most safari trucks and lodges have water dispensers for topping up reusable water bottles. 

Things You Can Pack for South Africa Safari

• Lightweight travelling hammock – especially for beach tours and safaris into the bush where you will want to laze in the scenic settings.
• GPS app – a GPS device or app on your phone is handy for finding local sights and restaurants and keeping track of your journey through Africa.
• Digital camcorder – a small handheld video recorder for making personal and YouTube videos that capture all the action on your trip. 
• A good book, iPod, iPad, or games – to keep you entertained on the road and while waiting for transfers and relaxing on your safari.
• A small diary – for recording your travel experiences and noting down the names of animals/birds sighted on game drives as well as useful local words and phrases.
• Headphones – nice for listening to a soundtrack while you watch the scenery on the road or for falling asleep, as well as for audiobooks.

Safari Packing List South Africa Tips

• Don’t overdo it. Packing too much for safaris is a common mistake. (Check with your travel advisor).
• Soft bags are recommended as safari luggage. Go with a good quality, hardy duffel bag that is light and secure. Nothing fancy.
• When going on a guided group safari, you don’t need to worry about the emergency first-aid kit and most of your meals are included in the tour price.
• Your guides know where to stop for supplies and can get hold of the most important things, if and when you are caught unprepared.
• Towels, bedding/sleeping bags, and basic toiletries may be provided as part of your safari tour – check when booking your safari.
• Remember not to pack your valuables into your main luggage (stored in the baggage compartment of the plane) when flying as bags do go missing at times. 

Start your South Africa safari here

If your luggage is overloaded it may be better to leave some of the extra items from the safari packing list South Africa at home. Remember there are shops in South Africa and many safari lodges have small libraries you can use.

References:

• African Budget Safaris
• Enriching Pursuits
• Trafalgar Tours