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Write a User ReviewThe Closest Big Five Destination to Johannesburg
Many years back, when I lived and worked in Johannesburg, I would regularly visit Pilanesberg on a weekend break, usually camping and always self-driving. Back then the park was relatively understocked in terms of Big Five wildlife, and my main interest was birding, which was invariably excellent (and still is today). The park checklist includes around 350 species, and it was always good for raptors and waterbirds, as well as localised gems such as crimson-breasted
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shrike, violet-eared waxbill, shaft-tailed whydah and southern pied babbler. Indeed, I’ve often ticked 100-plus species over a two-day stay.Although I still tend to think of Pilanesberg as a self-drive destination, it now incorporates several excellent upmarket lodges that offer all-inclusive packages with meals and guided game drives. On my most recent visit (2024), I stayed at Shepherd’s Tree and Ivory Tree Game Lodges, and the all-inclusive experience gave me a very different perspective on the reserve. Overall, the game viewing was superb, and it is definitely one of the best places in South Africa for close-up encounters with white rhino and elephant.
Guided night drives undertaken with the lodges in open 4x4s were a real highlight, and offer a good chance of encountering nocturnal specials such as brown hyena, aardwolf, genet and leopard. On one such drive, we were lucky enough to follow a pride of five lions as it walked nonchalantly along the private road to Shepherd’s Tree. I also really enjoyed the network of photographic hides, which gave us some of our best sightings on our most recent trip: we saw plenty of elephants drinking, but were also lucky enough to see white rhino, black rhino and lions at various waterholes.
Glitz, Glamour and the Big Five
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once you get through the gate the bottleneck does dissipate more quickly and by late afternoon the park is jam-packed.A Big Five Destination Just a Few Hours’ Drive From Johannesburg
Pilanesberg is instantly likeable, and with its savannah grasslands surrounded by an attractive ring of hills broken by wooded valleys, it’s hard to imagine that it started life as a man-made reserve (it opened in the 1970s as an annex to neighbouring Sun City). While I think it lacks any kind of wild atmosphere – the rangers know where most of the animals are located at any given time, ‘extras’ include game checklists given out at the gates, and the lodges are unashamedly touristy – facilities are very good and game viewing is easy if you’re short of time. I saw the Big Five here on just a two-day visit, and even on a short two-hour safari from Sun City, the chances of seeing some of the larger mammals is excellent.
Extinct Volcano Crater With Good Roads and the Big Five
Bordering the Sun City casino complex, Pilanesberg is not exactly an untamed wilderness where only lions dare tread. No, this 572-sq-km reserve, with its good network of tarred and gravel roads, was designed to offer a manageable slice of African bush to local city folk.
However, I enjoyed touring this extinct volcano crater in the Pilanesberg Mountains; it was possible to lose the other cars and get closer to nature, I found, by hitting the gravel roads. The reserve hosts all the Big Five and I had many animal encounters and sightings. Sitting in one of the many hides, watching rhinos and lions battle for supremacy of a waterhole, was particularly memorable. The crowd of excited Jo’burgers added some incidental comedy.
If you have a few days available, Kruger National Park or nearby Madikwe Game Reserve are better options than Pilanesberg. For families or people with little time, however, Pilanesberg is worth considering, offering accommodation in both exclusive and family-friendly lodges.
Crater Creation
You will certainly see plenty of game at Pilanesberg. I saw four of the Big Five on my first afternoon drive, and later that evening notched my fifth – a leopard – from the floodlit waterhole at Kwa Maritane resort. Indeed, virtually every southern Africa large mammal species occurs here. This is largely the result of Operation Genesis, one of Africa’s most ambitious conservation projects, in which game of all kinds was translocated to this 57,200ha reserve, created on rehabilitated ranchland within the crater walls of an immense extinct volcano. The rich variety of birds – more than 300 species – reflects the meeting of two biomes: the western Kalahari and the eastern lowveld. Some may feel that the slightly contrived history of this park, plus its proximity to the brash Sun City and other resorts, somewhat undermines the sense of genuine wild Africa. Nonetheless it offers an excellent wildlife experience in an undeniably spectacular setting and, being less than three hours’ drive from Johannesburg, is extremely convenient for the safari-goer who can’t reach Kruger.
Not Just a Theme Park
Don’t be fooled by Pilanesberg’s proximity to the famously tacky mega-casino at Sun City – this park is actually extensive, scenic and biologically diverse, and well worth it as an add-on to the wave pool or gaming tables. I love the park’s towering volcanic outcrops, which give photos a great scenic backdrop. You’ll need at least a full day to do justice to the variety of landscapes here, and it’s easy to self-drive on the well-maintained network of roads.
The park was stocked with translocated game in the 1970s and has a good variety of species including both white and black rhinos. If you’d like to stay the night (I recommend you do, to take advantage of the early mornings for game drives), there are a few good-value lodges to choose from.
Sit Back in a Hide and Let the Wildlife Come to You
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Another highlight was a mother and calf black rhino drinking meters from me at a waterhole. As soon as they quenched their thirst, they ran back to the thickets… I had to check my photos to make sure this special encounter really happened.Big 5 on a Plate, Close to Johannesburg
Pilanesberg’s density of game is certainly its biggest selling-point. But it’s also a very accessible park. It’s relatively small, you can self-drive, and most of it can be accessed without a 4x4 over the course of a single day if you’re in a hurry. It’s also less than three hours’ drive from Johannesburg and even closer to Pretoria. And it’s malaria-free. Combine all of the above with a handful of very affordable (if a little tacky) accommodation options and it’s not hard to see why Pilanesberg is a local favourite, particularly with families getting out of the city for a weekend or over the school holidays.
During these peak periods, the park can get exceptionally busy and
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begin to feel a little like a big zoo, but come during the week out of season and you’ll still get some semblance of “real” African bush.Pilanesberg: Busy & Beautiful
Pilanesberg is so easily reached that my first experience of the park was the antithesis of everything I love about the African wild – paved roads, traffic jams, and tour guides with loud microphones. The fact that there were rhinos, both black and white, in numbers, lions, elephants, and rumours of leopards and buffaloes seemed, at the time, incidental. But then I took my own vehicle, left the main roads behind and there I found a different park of beautiful rolling hills, pretty waterholes and wildlife undisturbed by the clamour two valleys away. A brown hyena, companionable rhinos, great birding and a wilderness experience that couldn’t have been more different from the busyness of the previous afternoon – these were Pilanesberg’s true gifts. If you’ve never been on safari before, Pilanesberg is a good way to check off some species. But if you get away, on your own, you’ll understand better what a safari ought to truly be about.
Family Friendly Wildlife Viewing Within Easy Reach of Johannesburg
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the rugged, undulating landscape and network of dirt roads quickly help you forget that you’re within spitting distance of South Africa’s answer to Vegas (which is, of course, plenty of fun in its own right).Gambling and Game-Viewing
Pilanesberg is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea … After-all, late-night carousing seldom goes hand-in-hand with early morning game drives, but there are some who love it. Obviously, visitors have the choice of skipping Sun City’s casinos altogether to rather concentrate on the wildlife that resides within the rings of hills that naturally contain this small park. I must be honest and say that this place is not my favourite park in South Africa by a long shot, but I have still enjoyed many good sightings here, from elephants and rhinos to lions and even a leopard killing a young kudu at the resort waterhole! Pilanesberg is a small man-made reserve that has been extensively restocked, so while it lacks the wilderness vibe, it usually delivers quite consistent and decent wildlife sightings. If you like the sound of a bright-lights-big-city atmosphere combined with lots of animals and a late-night game of blackjack, then this park was made for you!