George Mokotedi, the General Manager of Bakubung Bush Lodge in Pilanesberg National Park, generously invited my wife and me to stay for a night at the lodge. Located next to Pilanesberg’s Main Gate, Bakubung Bush Lodge took a knock during COVID but has bounced back stronger than ever, and George was on hand to tell me all about it.
Pilanesberg is less than 200km from Johannesburg, and Google Maps estimates the drive takes just over three hours. The recommended route is via Pretoria on the N4, but we chose to take the scenic route past Maanhaarrand on the R24. It soon became apparent why the N4 would have been the better choice: we were delayed by trucks on the narrow road, which extended our trip by hours. Even if you take the N4, which we drove on the way back, the built-up areas around Rustenburg and the small ‘dorps’ (towns) near Pilanesberg create bottlenecks, adding to the journey.
For this reason, I would recommend driving to the game park for a few nights, opting for a 3-Day Pilanesberg Safari or if time and budget allow a 4-Day Pilanesberg Safari to Bakubung Bush Lodge. The extra time on safari, along with the flowers along the way, will make the drive even more worthwhile.
Upon arrival at Bakubung Bush Lodge, we were swiftly settled into our impeccable accommodations, assisted by the well-trained, efficient staff. I was keen to chat with George about the lodge, and his two decades of service experience soon came to the fore as he put me at ease. In addition to George’s hospitality and lodge experience, he provided me with several insights into recent developments in Pilanesberg National Park.
All of South Africa’s parks were heavily affected by COVID. The pandemic significantly dented tourism figures and, consequently, income, but things have since turned around. In 2022, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Barbara Creecy reported a 74% increase in visitors to South Africa’s national parks from the prior year. George was happy to report that all the Bakubung staff who were laid off during the pandemic have now been reemployed, thanks to the renewed influx of visitors.
The nature of the visits and visitors has changed since COVID. Winter is now much busier than it was before at the lodge, which George puts down to the fact that people were cooped up in their homes for two years, and this is now a ‘catch-up’ period – people really want to travel. Rates are a different story: although occupancy is high, what people spend during their stay at the safari lodge remains low. This is because before the pandemic, about 70% of travellers were international tourists, and 30% were local visitors; these figures have now been almost exactly reversed.
Foreign tourists tend to stay longer (three nights or more) and want to experience more: safaris (often twice a day), kid-friendly activities, room service with add-ons, and more frequent bar visits. The Big 5 walking tours, with highly trained guides, are very popular with international tourists, but not so much with locals. According to George, “South Africans don’t like to walk,” but the issue may be cost. Another activity international visitors love is rhino notching, in which rhinos are darted by vets and the visitors get to see the ancient creatures close-up, and even touch them.
A few changes were made at Bakubung Bush Lodge during the pandemic. However, the opportunity to develop infrastructure existed; there were simply too few personnel to undertake any heavy work, which was limited to maintenance. Since the staff returned, a lot has happened: a soft refurbishment, restaurant maintenance, and re-thatching. Now that visitors are returning, the budget is available for this work.
Bakubung, named after a local tribe and operated by Legacy Hotels & Resorts, is a large lodge. The hotel alone now has 100 rooms that can accommodate over 250 people, and it is still growing.
Fire pits have recently been added to the outside restaurant, where visitors can dine while watching animals drink at a nearby dam (a couple of lambs rotated slowly on these fire pits in preparation for dinner – but the kudu was even tastier). The lodge also has 66 self-catering chalets available for timeshare, with occupancy above 90% year-round, and upmarket villas with three to four rooms are currently being built.
The growth at Bakubung Bush Lodge is driven by demand. The number of visitors is looking good, now and into the future, said the lodge manager. Periods that traditionally don’t perform well, such as May to August, have been promoted with specials to boost numbers, with most of their traction coming from local agents. The local market the lodge is discovering is something to tap into, reducing reliance on international travellers.
George said the animals in the park “also went into lockdown” during the pandemic. It was really strange, he observed, but when he drove around the park during this period, he actually saw fewer animals. He was at a loss to explain this, but surmised that they had become used to the visitors driving past them. Since the visitors and vehicles have returned to the park, the wildlife has also returned. So much so that on his last safari, he saw four out of the Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhino, and elephant) – the only one he didn’t see was buffalo. He also said that mongoose, which were previously very shy, are now seen far more frequently.
Infrastructure in Pilanesberg National Park has taken a knock, he said, and this is reflected in the state of the park’s roads. On our early morning safari the next morning – after our sumptuous supper and a very comfortable night’s sleep – the dirt roads were fairly uneven, but the large diesel truck filled with mainly French tourists took the bumps in its stride. I’ve toured the park before, but in a car, and I soon realized that the Pilanesberg game is best seen from a safari vehicle. Not only is one higher up, and can thus see more animals, but having an experienced, trained guide behind the wheel helps, as they identify species and share interesting facts about them. For example, the first animal we saw was a spotted hyena, which is the only one of its kind in the park, due to Pilanesberg’s brown hyena conservation efforts.
We literally saw wildlife every five minutes. The recent fires also helped spot wild animals, as they were not obscured by tall bushveld grass, and the topography of Pilanesberg may also help: in parks with fewer hills, animals are harder to spot.
Pilanesberg National Park must be among the best game parks in South Africa for the sheer number and variety of wildlife one will see in a short time. During our three-hour guided game drive, we saw a hyena, elephants, tsessebe, giraffes, lions on a kill, warthogs, wildebeest, and a white rhino (close-up!).
In addition to zebra and springbok, a kori bustard (the world’s largest flying bird), kudu, impala, hippos by a dam, and a female pride of lions. As we returned to the lodge, we passed a lone zebra on the road right next to the vehicle, and a big herd of elephants, many with babies.
Pilanesberg National Park must rank among the best South African game parks, my wife and I decided. Thanks to George Mokatedi and his fantastic staff, we left Bukubung with our bellies full from the sumptuous Bakubung breakfast buffet and an enlightened perspective on the changing landscape of Pilanesberg National Park.
For a fantastic range of affordable Pilanesberg safari tours, Kruger, and other gems in South Africa and beyond, visit African Budget Safaris.
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