Rare Mammals of South Africa 19-Day Tour

19-Day Tour

O.R. Tambo International Airport Johannesburg – Madikwe – Dullstroom – Kruger – Eswatini – Zululand – Drakensberg – Maloti Mountains – Kimberley – Hanover – Beaufort West – George International Airport, Western Cape

Sneak Peek of Tour

Tour Information

Aardvark, pangolin, honey badger, black-footed cat, aardwolf, caracal, serval, brown hyena, African wild dog, African striped weasel, striped polecat, bat-eared fox, suricate (meerkat), Cape fox, black rhino, cheetah, hedgehog, civet, Cape porcupine, spotted-necked otter, Cape clawless otter, side-striped jackal, elephant shrew (sengi), African wild cat, suni, oribi, roan, red rock hares, large grey mongoose, water mongoose, Sloggett’s ice rat, etc.

Private wildlife and birding guide
Accommodation (may change subject to availability, in which case similar will be found)
All ground transport – maximum 7 participants and 1 guide per luxury touring vehicle
Specialist guided tours and activities:
16 x Guided open safari vehicle day and night drives – 4 x Madikwe, 1 x Satara, 1 x Lower Sabie, 3 x Manyoni, 1 x Spionkop, 3 x Marrick, 2 x Khoisan Karoo, 1 x Karoo NP
1 x Pangolin monitoring night tour – 1 x Manyoni
2 x Sengi (elephant shrew) and suricate (meerkat) morning tour – 1 x Marrick, 1 x Khoisan Karoo
All road tolls and parking fees
All meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner
Bottled water in vehicles
All entrance fees, conservation and community levies to parks and reserves
Trip guide
Personalised species checklist

Airport departure taxes or visa fees
Travel and medical insurance (incl. personal equipment and repatriation)
All snacks and drinks (except bottled water)
Optional excursions
Specialist guide fees and activities not specified
Items of a personal nature
Laundry and telephone charges
Tips and gratuities
Anything else not mentioned in “Tour Includes”

Distance:

Total driving distance (including around sites) = About 4,700 km.

Scheduled Dates:

08 to 28 November 2025
Or alternate dates on request

Validity:

01 January 2025 – 31 December 2025.

Duration:

19 days, 18 nights.

No. of Pax:

Maximum 7 guests per vehicle and per guide.

Tour Starts:

At OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, Gauteng.

Tour Ends:

At George Airport in George, Western Cape (guests to fly to either Cape Town or Johannesburg).

Price:

ZAR 135,950.00 per person sharing,
ZAR 33,950.00 single supplement.

Terms and Conditions apply
Minimum of 3 participants per vehicle required to undertake the trip – should the number of guests change, the cost of the tour and the per person cost will change accordingly
The species mentioned in the itinerary represent only some of those we may possibly view on the tour, however, none can be guaranteed
This itinerary is subject to change due to weather conditions at the time and other factors beyond our control
Tour group is responsible for paying for all guide meals
All images taken on tour with Sustain Safaris

Tour Insight

Join us on our flagship tour to extraordinary destinations in this magnificent country, including 10 reserves renowned for sightings of rare and elusive mammals. Our strategically selected route and key destinations provide the best chance of encountering these mammals in the time available and potentially many other diverse wildlife and bird species.

The route offers a mammal list exceeding 75 species, with a high success rate for spotting many rare species. The bird list is also impressive, totalling over 670 species in the region, and we may spot over 350 of them, including raptors, owls, and endemics.

Tour Overview

Comfortable private lodges and national park resorts. Luxury accommodation can be arranged at your request (additional cost).

The climate is subtropical and mostly hot during the day in the summer and cooler in the evenings with a chance of mist. Rain is possible, usually in the form of summer convection thunderstorms, and in the event of a cold front moving up from the south, cool wet weather is also possible. This is a summer rainfall region, with an average of between 500mm and 1100mm per year (19.6in and 43.3in). Temperatures range from -6˚C (21.2˚F) in winter to an average maximum of 18˚C (64.4 ˚F) and an average minimum of 10˚C (50 ˚F). The driest month is July, the most rainfall falls in January, and the warmest month is February at 32˚C (89.6 ˚F).

Woodlands, savanna, wetlands, grassland, mountains and cliffs, scrubland and rocky slopes, which host numerous regional endemics, threatened and endangered mammal and bird species, as well as great floral diversity. Each destination offers extraordinary scenery, providing you with unparalleled photographic opportunities.

Optional extension
A two-day continuation from George along the gorgeous Cape south coast to the world-renowned city of Cape Town. Kindly select this option when booking.

Tour variation
This set-departure tour is also available as a private or custom tour on request. Kindly submit an enquiry with your preferred dates and group size.

Madikwe Private Game Reserve (2 nights): Exclusive semi-arid Big 5 reserve near the Botswana border.

Mpumalanga Highlands & Blyde River Canyon (1 night): Breathtaking highlands and canyon scenery.

Kruger National Park (4 nights): World-renowned Big 5 reserve and one of the most biodiverse national parks in Africa.

Manyoni Private Game Reserve, Zululand (2 nights): A verdant bushveld region where you’ll experience pangolin monitoring and enjoy Big 5 night and day game drives in an open vehicle.

Spionkop Nature Reserve & Golden Gate Highlands National Park (2 nights): Lush grasslands and the scenic mountain landscapes of the Drakensberg and the Maloti/Maluti Mountains.

Marrick Safari, Northern Cape (3 nights): Harsh grasslands and savanna. Sengi tours and productive night game drives for rare nocturnal predators.

Mokala National Park, Northern Cape (Day drive): Grasslands and savanna.

Khoisan Karoo Conservancy, Northern Cape (3 nights): Stark Karoo landscapes. Open vehicle drives in search of the “Shy 5” mammals and other wildlife.

Karoo National Park, Western Cape (2 nights): Unique Big 5 national park in the Karoo with dramatic mountain ranges and valleys.

George, Western Cape: Descend an extraordinary mountain pass to the evergreen coastal town of George, our final destination before departure.

Medium-paced with optional mid-day breaks (advisable on hot days). If you’re a keen photographer (and so are we), there’ll be many opportunities to capture moments to make you the envy of your friends!