South Africa is one of our favorite countries in the world to visit: its landscape is nothing short of incredible, the adventure activities available rival anywhere on the planet, the wildlife is magnificent, and the food is delicious. However, deciding what to bring to South Africa can be a little tricky!
South Africa is enormous (about twice the size of Texas or France, and about the same size as Colombia), and the country’s large size, combined with the wide variety of things to do, can complicate putting together a packing list for South Africa.
After a long and leisurely six-week trip to South Africa, here’s exactly what we recommend putting on your South Africa packing list!
Table of Contents
Absolute Essentials For Your South Africa Packing List
Passport — Obvious but true: good luck flying to South Africa without it!
Travel Insurance — Don’t visit South Africa without travel insurance!
We don’t ever suggest traveling without insurance–anything can happen on the road, and traveling to a place heavy on adventure activities like South Africa is definitely a case of better safe than sorry.
Be sure to read the contract carefully and check the exact inclusions, especially if your dream South Africa vacation includes some adventure sports! You can check prices and inclusions for insuring your trip to South Africa here.
Visa (If Needed) — Currently, citizens of 40+ countries including travelers from the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia, can visit South Africa visa-free for up to 90 days. Several additional countries can visit visa-free for up to 30 days.
That being said, always double-check the visa rules for any destination before finalizing your trip.
Yellow Fever Card (If Applicable) — As of the time of writing, proof of yellow fever vaccination is only required for visiting South Africa if you are arriving from a country that has a risk of yellow fever.
Be sure to triple-check your travel itinerary before booking if you plan to travel without a yellow fever vaccination!
International Driving Permit (If Applicable) — If you are planning on renting a car while in South Africa and your current driver’s license is printed in a language other than English, you’ll need to acquire an International Driving Permit and add it to your South Africa packing list.
Note that this must be obtained before arriving in South Africa!
Money — This includes credit cards, debit cards, and any South African rand you choose to get ahead of your trip (we don’t bother with this, as it’s easy enough to withdraw local currency at ATMs upon arrival).
We recommend bringing at least one major credit card and a backup, one major debit card and a backup.
While it’s less necessary than it used to be, you might also want to alert your bank(s) of your travel plans before leaving!
Credit cards are widely accepted in South Africa, we ended up using very little cash in the country.
South Africa Travel Tip: While this is a bit off-topic for a South Africa packing list, please note that there is a common scam in South Africa where people “help” you with the ATM and subtly skim your card number. It is strongly advised to refuse any help at an ATM when traveling in South Africa.
Cell Phone eSIM or SIM Card — These days, cell phone data while abroad (especially if you’re taking a South Africa road trip) can be considered a must!
Consider buying an eSIM before you leave, or purchasing an international plan for your cell phone (most carriers offer them, but they tend to be more expensive than eSIMs). If you have an unlocked phone, you can also just buy a local SIM card once you land.
Lately, we buy an eSIM from Airalo before each trip, and marvel at how much easier using our phones abroad has gotten since we first started traveling!
Important Things to Pack for South Africa
Pacsafe Portable Safe
Our large Pacsafe
Pacsafes are affordable and easy to pack, and a very practical item for your packing list for South Africa!
Comfortable Day Bag — We currently use Pacsafe’s sleek anti-theft backpack and love it, but if you don’t want to shell out the cash for this trip, that’s totally understandable.
Just aim for something comfortable to wear, not flashy, and medium-sized–we used my old Northface Jester backpack from school for years and loved it as well.
Travel Adapters for South Africa — There’s nothing more annoying than arriving in a destination and finding that you can’t charge any of your electronics! They’re absolutely one of the top South Africa packing essentials.
Apple Air Tags — Air Tags are a relatively new addition to our packing lists, but we’ve loved having the extra security when checking our luggage!
They’ll be coming with us from now on.
Optional: Camera and Zoom Lens — If you’re coming to South Africa, you’re probably going to be visiting Kruger National Park and going on a safari… and one of the best safari tips for photographers is to bring a zoom lens.
These days, I’ve mostly removed the suggestion for bringing any kind of camera on our recommended packing lists (phones are just too good now), but South Africa is an exception!
If you’re at all interested in hobby photography, there’s a good chance you’ll want a “big” camera with you on safari.
If photos aren’t a big priority for you, though, don’t worry: your phone will ensure you capture some great memories.
On the other side of the coin, if you’re serious about photography, you’ll likely want to rent a zoom lens for your trip. We didn’t want to deal with the logistics of doing so since we were already abroad, but we would have loved to have had one with us!
Binoculars
We even seriously considered purchasing a very overpriced pair in the Kruger National Park gift shop!
If safari is a big part of your trip plans, be sure to add binoculars to your South Africa packing list. You’ll be very glad to have them!
Malaria Medication (If Applicable) — Technically, part of South Africa–the part where Kruger National Park is located–is in a malaria zone.
Not everyone chooses to take anti-malarial medication there, including us (we spent most of the time we were in the park in our car, took precautions not to be bitten, and also visited in late winter).
However, malaria is no laughing matter, and everyone should read up on the risks, consult with a doctor, and make an informed decision for themselves when deciding whether or not to take antimalarial medication on a trip to South Africa.
Here’s what the South Africa National Park system has to say about it.
Portable Phone Charger
Add a portable charger to your packing list for South Africa! There are so many times it will come in handy (like on long game drives in Kruger National Park when, if you’re like us, you likely won’t be able to stop taking video after video).
Reusable Water Bottle
Bring a reusable bottle with you to limit both plastic waste and expenses.
Reusable Tote Bag
We bring ours everywhere, and there has never been a single destination where it doesn’t come in handy!
Bug Spray
Don’t forget to put some on your packing list for South Africa!
Money Belt — This is up to you: we no longer use one, and thieves definitely know about them, but if you’re more comfortable traveling with a money belt, you can certainly consider bringing one.
We used to use this one and had no complaints!
Swiss Army Knife
In 10+ years of travel, I’ve lost track of the number of times we have used the knife itself, not to mention the corkscrew and the small pair of scissors that are attachments on ours.
Just make sure this goes in your checked luggage! Airport security is understandably not fond of people flying with knives.
Sunscreen
Hand Sanitizer
As far as things to bring to South Africa go, it’s small, cheap, and incredibly useful.
Other Useful Things to Pack for South Africa
Hiking Boots — Whether it’s climbing mountains in the Drakensberg, summiting Table Mountain or Lion’s Head in Cape Town, or exploring the beauty of the Garden Route, there’s no shortage of opportunities to hike in South Africa.
While you can do most casual day hikes in South Africa without boots, we loved having ours with us, and if you’re the outdoorsy type, we recommend putting a pair on your South Africa packing list.
Swim Goggles
Comfortable Bathing Suit — This goes for women especially: while cute bikinis definitely have a place on your packing list for South Africa, if you’re planning on doing any adventure activities like surfing, you’ll want to make sure you bring at least one suit that’s durable, easy to wear, and holds up to adventure.
It doesn’t need to be a one-piece, necessarily, but a suit that likes to stay in place and hopefully offers at least a little support up top.
Tripod (For Your Phone or Camera) — If you’re traveling with a group and want to ensure that you get pictures of everyone together, a tripod will allow you to snap non-selfie photos easily.
Not traveling with a camera? This inexpensive phone tripod gets packed on our trips and does a great job.
Unfortunately, a tendency for petty crime in South Africa means that you need to be much more cautious about where you break out this combo than in some countries, but with the right planning, it can still result in some incredible souvenirs!
Travel Journal
For people like me who can’t bear to commit to more than a couple of sentences a night, I can’t recommend this One Line a Day Journal
It’s a great way to reflect on your day, keep an eye on the changes your life goes through over 5-year period, and only requires a couple of minutes a day to fill out. I’ve been using mine for more than 8 years now, and I wish I had started it earlier!
Sea Bands
Come prepared and put a pair of Sea Bands (I swear by these, they’re amazing) and some Non-Drowsy Dramamine on your packing list for South Africa!
Basic Medication — Basic medications are, of course, available in South Africa, but who wants to be navigating the world of pharmacies when they’re sick and far from home?
Alleviate any concerns and bring a supply of your most common medications along with you.
Safety Whistle
You never know when you might need one, and they are so inexpensive and light that it‘s easy to bring one along.
What to Wear in South Africa (+ What to Skip!)
Having trouble deciding what clothes to put on your packing list for South Africa?
Use these tips to help you decide!
Keep in mind the variety of climates & activities in South Africa.
The climate in Kruger National Park is worlds away from that of the Drakensberg, which is worlds away from that of Cape Town.
Tat can mean having to carefully measure what clothes to add to your South Africa packing list!
It sounds a bit basic, and it is, but a weather report for each destination you plan to visit should be your first stop when putting together your packing list for South Africa, followed immediately by deciding which regions can include packing overlap and which require mostly separate wardrobes.
Pack for what you plan to do.
Never hiked a day in your life? Forgo any suggestions of hiking gear.
Plan to be a beach bum on the Western Cape for your entire trip? No need for safari clothes.
South Africa is a country that captures the hearts and minds of many highly varied travelers, from luxury travelers hoping to experience the Blue Train or the Cape Winelands to budget travelers planning to take the Baz Bus down the coast and partake in nothing but hiking and inexpensive meals along the way–and of course, there are a million variations in between.
This can lead some South Africa packing lists that either are biased toward one type of travel or suggest overzealously overpacking in case you somehow have a personality transplant once you land.
Bottom line: you know your travel style and your trip best. Pack for that, whether that means packing for a safari, beach life, or something else… and leave the rest at home.
And hey, if you change your mind on an activity once you get here, South Africa’s major cities have some lovely boutiques and plenty of outdoor shops!
For going on safari, think layers.
Even when the days are scorching, nights can still be quite chilly in Kruger National Park… especially during night or dawn game drives.
Bring several layers and be prepared for significant temperature changes!
In Kruger National Park, “neutral colors” isn’t really necessary.
“Neutral colors” are often touted as the preferred uniform of safari goers, but unless you’re going on a walking safari, this isn’t really necessary in Kruger. Most tourists in Kruger National Park remain in their cars when they’re not at a campsite.
If you’re traveling in the summer, it is recommended to wear long pants and shirts, especially around sunrise and sunset, to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
Consider doing a round of laundry while in South Africa.
If you’re planning an active or long (or both!) trip to South Africa, it’s easy for your South Africa packing list to get quite long.
Consider packing based on already having a plan to wash clothes in the country, instead of bringing enough outfits to last your entire trip.
There are many delivery services available, and of course, plenty of traditional laundromats as well!
This was extremely helpful. Thank you!
Thanks so much for all your wonderful informative information! You just made my packing easier! Happy Travels! Barb
Thank you so much, Barbara! Hope you have a great trip!