South Africa wildlife ranges from safaris in the remote wilderness to close-up interactions with penguins on the beaches of Cape Town. The big five animals are present in a number of national parks in South Africa, and if you’re an old safari hand Africa’s little five can also be found here. On the endangered list, South Africa is also home to the black rhino, wild dog, wattled crane, and riverine rabbit.
There are over 550 national parks and nature reserves in the country, and a great infrastructure to get into and around them. All of this makes South Africa a fantastic destination for wildlife safaris.
While Kruger National Park is, without doubt, the jewel of South Africa’s wildlife spotting opportunities, there are a number of other standout national parks where epic animal sightings are virtually guaranteed:
Addo Elephant Park
Addo National Park is something of a hidden gem, spreading for 180,000 hectares through mountains, river valleys, and bushland, right down to the coast of the Indian ocean and beyond, where a marine reserve forms part of the park. Famed for its 550-strong elephants, Addo Elephant Park is home to the “big seven” animals, as well as zebra, warthog, a variety of African antelopes, and spotted hyena.
Kgalagadi Transfrontier park
The Kgalagadi is a wild land of harsh extremes, and one of Africa’s last great unspoiled regions. The area is richer in wildlife than it first appears and supports large populations of birds, reptiles, small mammals, and antelopes, which in turn support a healthy predator population. It’s regarded as one of the best places in the world to see big cats like lion, leopard, and particularly cheetah.
Kruger National Park
A national symbol of South Africa, Kruger is one of the world’s most famed national parks. The area has an incredible diversity of wildlife, from the big five to a huge range of African antelope and gazelle, and plenty of much smaller animals and birds.
With this breadth and variety in mind we’ve put together a selection of the most iconic animals in South Africa to spot on safari:
14 Iconic South African Wildlife Species:
Lion
A pair of lions – the ultimate African safari animals
Leaping in at first place is the lion, also known as the king of the jungle. Lions are the largest and most sociable of Africa’s cats. At up to 225 kg, the lion (Panthera leo) really is the king of all savanna animals (not jungle!).
These big cats live in prides of up to 40 lions, and it’s the lionesses who do all the hunting, usually sharing their catches with the males of a pride. Lions are very territorial, and the females generally spend most of their lives within their home ranges.
When you hear them roaring during the night, or the day, you’ll be amazed at how loud and powerful they actually are – don’t worry about not hearing the lions snarls or roars, as they can be heard from up to 8 kilometers away. It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see lions hunting, or lion cubs playing with each other (but watch out for those man-eating lions!).
African Elephant
An African elephant – one of the iconic African animals
The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the largest land mammal and heaviest land animal in the world, weighing up to 6 tonnes. You will be stunned by the sheer size and presence of these creatures, not only on the first time you see one, but each and every time. The good news is, they’re fairly easy to spot!
Elephants play a vital role in the survival of other species by digging waterholes in dry riverbeds, spreading seeds through theirs faecal matter, and creating natural fire breaks in the landscape with their trails, and they do all this on only 2 hours sleep in a 24 hour period!
Rhinocerous
The most elusive of the big five animals?
Rhinos are something you just need to see in real life to understand how impressive they really are.
Once widespread through sub-Saharan Africa, the rhino has been hunted to the brink of extinction, and is probably the hardest of the big five animals to spot in the wild. There are two species of rhinoceros in Africa – the black rhino (Diceros bicornis) and the white rhino (Ceratotherium simum).
Whilst white rhinos have made a comeback through conservation efforts across the continent, black rhinos are still very much one of Africa’s most endangered animals, and hardest safari animals to spot. The fundamental differences between the white and black rhino are not color, but rather size, temperament, food preference, and mouth shape.
Cape Buffalo
Cape buffalo – the grumpiest of all South Africa wildlife!
Weighing in at not too far short of a ton, the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) has a reputation for being bad-tempered and dangerous. Whilst solitary buffaloes can be unpredictable (and dangerous, hence their inclusion in the big five animals), they are usually a docile beast when in a herd… aside from their tendency to stampede en masse when alarmed.
Not sure about the differences between a bison and buffalo?
Leopard
A beautiful leopard doing what it does best… lounging in a tree
The elusive leopard is one of the shyest and least sociable animals in Africa (though not one of the ‘shy five’), but are still opportunistic hunters and are highly adaptable. Watching a leopard carry its prey up a tree is a fantastic sight and one of the best African safari sightings you could hope for.
Slightly smaller than their lion cousins, leopards (Panthera pardus) are less rare than you might think, but rely on camouflage and being active at night to stay hidden.
Leopards are solitary, independent creatures, and rarely seen together except during mating, or a mother with cubs. As such they are totally self-reliant, and expert hunters – sometimes killing prey up to twice their size. During the daytime they often lounge around in trees and come to the ground after dark to hunt, taking their prey up into a tree to eat at their leisure.
Cheetah
Cheetah -the fastest land animal
The cheetah is famous for being the world’s fastest land animal, reaching speeds of 120 kilometers per hour and can accelerate from 0 to 95 kilometers in just three seconds. These cats need land and space, and seeing one running at full speed is the highlight of any animal safari. But there is more to this cat than just speed; it is beautiful and graceful, and sadly, it’s endangered.
For an animal that hunts during the day, good eyesight, stealth, a spotted coat, and top-notch speed are crucial for survival. The tear marks are among the top distinctive features used to tell the cheetah and the leopard apart.
Spotted Hyena
A cute hyena strolling…
There are four species in the hyena family, varying in size and shape.
Hyenas are unique and vital components of most African ecosystems, both taking advantage of other animals’ kills for easy meals and hunting themselves. The size of a hyena kill or scavenge is generally determined by the size of the hyena’s clan, which can run to dozens. They often hide extra food in watering holes, since nothing is wasted. Hyenas eat every part of an animal, including bones and hooves.
Warthhog
A warthog standing in long grass
Warthogs are normally found in family groups, where they spend most of their time either looking for food or wallowing in the mud at waterholes. At night they shelter in burrows, entering tail first. Warthogs have a wide distribution across sub-Saharan Africa, with a preference for open woodland and savannahs, and are not endangered.
Hippo
A hippo – one of Africa’s most dangerous animals
Spending most of their days keeping cool in the water or mud, hippos are semi-aquatic safari animals. They resemble large pigs but are in fact related to the whale species, and despite their large, cumbersome appearance can easily outrun a human, and are known as one of Africa’s most dangerous animals.
Zebra
Zebras at a waterhole
Zebra are perhaps the most stylish of African animals, with their characteristically stunning coats of black and white stripes. These distant relatives of the horse are a frequent sight on any African safari and consist of three different species.
There are many theories about why zebras have stripes, and it seems that perhaps the most likely answer is that the stripes function as a way to deter biting insects like tsetse flies and mosquitos.
Plains zebras play a particularly interesting role in the ecosystem, as they are pioneer gazers, nibbling and feeding on the top-most layer of grass, thereby opening up the grassland for more specialized grazers looking for the short grasses tucked below.
Giraffe
Giraffe mother with two young
Perhaps the ultimate icon of the African savanna, the giraffe is an unmistakable land mammal known for their long necks and spotted coat (and super-weird giraffe tongue!). They were known by Arab prophets as the ‘queen of the beasts’ because of their delicate features and graceful poise.
Giraffes have a sharp sense of hearing and smell, another defense against predators, while it can close its nostrils during sandstorms and against ants.
Aardwolf
The elusive aardwolf
Aardwolves are nocturnal, solitary foragers, only coming together to mate and rear young. . The name Aardwolf means ‘earth wolf’ in Afrikaans and stems from its supposed dog-like features and its diet of termites which it digs for in the ground and in the termite mounds.
Meerkat
A family of meerkats
The meerkat, or suricate, is a small carnivoran in the mongoose family. It is the only member of the genus Suricata. Meerkats are predominantly desert animals and live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa.
Kudu
The majestic male kudu
The kudu is one of the most spectacular African antelopes to be seen on safari. It has been described as one of the most handsome of the antelope family, due to the male’s unique large, corkscrew horns.
The name found its way into the English language courtesy of the Afrikaans of South Africa. The Afrikaans term ‘koedoe’ is a combination of both zebra and deer.
So there you have our take on the 14 most iconic species of South African wildlife you could expect to see when on safari in South Africa. What do you think – any controversial picks… or wildlife in South Africa missing from the list? Let us know in the comments section below!
If you’re looking for more in-depth information on any of these – or other – African animals, you can check out our animal lists or animal comparisons.