The iconic Kruger National Park in South Africa needs no introduction, as the largest game reserve in the country; it is considered one of the world’s best game parks.
With two million hectares of undulating land stretching over 352 kilometres, it is the ultimate South African safari destination and attracts over 1.4 million visitors per year. Kruger is home to a huge variety of species including many large mammals. It hosts the African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard and black and white rhinoceros; collectively known as the Big Five of Africa - a name coined by big-game hunters and refers to the animals most difficult to hunt on foot. Ironically hunting and depleted wildlife was a key driver in the formation of Kruger National Park in South Africa.
But what are the origins of Kruger National Park, and how has it evolved from a much-loved South African family holiday destination to the hotspot destination that it is today? With everything on offer from six-star lodges, celebs and international jet set visitors, to the best budget options under the sun as well as an array of adventure activities on offer, the evolution of Kruger is remarkable. Recently I set out to discover its history and what makes it the iconic destination that it is.
Evidence of early human settlement is found in the Kruger National Park dating back as far as the early Stone Age almost 2.5 million years ago; artefacts are still found today on most hilltops in the Limpopo and Luvubhu floodplains and along the Makhadzi Spruit. With its lush pastures, the game-dense area attracted the San people and Nguni-speaking people. The first known modern explorer to visit the area was Francois de Cuiper, in 1725 he led a Dutch East India Company expedition from the Cape Colony, their adventure was short-lived, and they were attacked en route by local tribes-people.
With stories spreading of the animal-rich destination, explorers Louis Trichardt and Hans van Rensburg led the first successful Voortrekker expedition to the Kruger; their oxen-pulled wagons cut a slow path through the bush as they made their way through the Lowveld. Along the way, they cut wagon routes making the journey to and from the Kruger much more accessible. Today the park has a 2,500 km network of tarred and dirt roads.
In 1873 with discoveries of gold at the nearby Pilgrims Rest, fortunes seekers rushed to the area determined to make their riches. Together with the agricultural transformation and industrialisation of the greater Transvaal province, the impact on wildlife was substantial. Paul Kruger, President of the Transvaal Republic, proclaimed the Sabie Game Reserve in 1898. This would later form part of the Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Reserve.
In 1913 a motion was put forward calling for the Sabie and Singwidzi Game Reserves to be nationalised. A national park, to be named after Paul Kruger, was in the national interest, to preserve the landscape and its wildlife.
Ten years later, the first large group of tourists started visiting the Sabie Game Reserve as part of the South African Railway’s “Round in Nine” tours, the tour highlight was a stop at Sabie Bridge (now Skukuza), where the new tourists would take a short bush walk with armed ranges, this was considered revolutionary at the time. News of this spread like wildfire, with the popularity of the tour fuelling support for the campaign to form the park, fast forward thirteen years and the Kruger National Park was created.
A mere four years later the first three tourist cars entered the park, by 1929 tourism was booming with 850 cars visiting in one year alone, remarkable given the road conditions. South African families were mesmerised by Kruger Park, and the national icon became the go-to holiday destination. Over the years Kruger National Park safaris have grown in popularity, especially with international visitors seeking the ‘ultimate safari experience’ holiday, it is now regarded as a top destination in itself.
Today the historic Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks among the best in Africa. It also offers multiple attractions that see visitors returning year on year. It is home to an impressive number of species including 147 mammals, 114 reptiles and 507 birds.
Whether you dream of sleeping in a tree house or playing golf in the wild, a Kruger National Park safari offers it all (and more).
For more ideas see Top Kruger National Park Attractions.
Take an in-depth look at what Greater Kruger National Park is and how it differs from Kruger National Park proper, in Greater Kruger National Park Explained.
Or compare the diverse collection of affordable Kruger National Park safaris on African Budget Safaris.
For help planning your budget Kruger National Park safari in South Africa, chat with an African travel expert.
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