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National parks · 24 parks

Flag of South AfricaNational Parks in South Africa

South Africa has 24 national parks covering about 50,239 km² in total. The largest is Greater Kruger National Park (19,623 km²); the oldest, Kruger National Park, dates from 1926.

Greater Kruger National Park19,623 km² Kruger National Park Kruger National Park19,623 km² · since 1926 Addo Elephant National Park Addo Elephant National Park1,640 km² · since 1931 Tankwa Karoo National Park Tankwa Karoo National Park1,436 km² · since 1986 Namaqua National Park Namaqua National Park1,368 km² · since 1999 Meerkat National Park Meerkat National Park1,352 km² Garden Route National Park Garden Route National Park1,210 km² · since 2009 Augrabies Falls National Park Augrabies Falls National Park820 km² · since 1966 Karoo National Park Karoo National Park768 km² · since 1979 Marakele National Park Marakele National Park670 km² · since 1944 West Coast National Park West Coast National Park363 km² · since 1985 Mountain Zebra National Park Mountain Zebra National Park284 km² · since 1937 Table Mountain National Park Table Mountain National Park225 km² · since 1998 Mokala National Park Mokala National Park196 km² · since 2007 Camdeboo National Park Camdeboo National Park194 km² · since 2005 Mapungubwe National Park Mapungubwe National Park152 km² · since 1995 Golden Gate Highlands National Park Golden Gate Highlands National Park116 km² · since 1963 Grassland National Park Grassland National Park102 km² · since 2025 Agulhas National Park Agulhas National Park57 km² · since 1998 Bontebok National Park Bontebok National Park28 km² · since 1931 Sodwana Bay National Park12 km² · since 1950 QwaQwa National ParkNational park Richtersveld National ParkNational park Tokai ParkNational park

Data: Wikidata (CC0), English Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. Photos under their Commons licences — the author is credited on each park page.

National parks in South Africa at a glance

South Africa has 24 national parks covering about 50,239 km² — roughly 4.1% of the country's 1,219,090 km². The 3 largest parks together account for 81% of that area.

Largest national parks

  1. Greater Kruger National Park — 19,623 km²
  2. Kruger National Park — 19,623 km², since 1926
  3. Addo Elephant National Park — 1,640 km², since 1931
  4. Tankwa Karoo National Park — 1,436 km², since 1986
  5. Namaqua National Park — 1,368 km², since 1999

Oldest national parks

Planning a trip? See the best time to visit South Africa, the South Africa travel guide and airports in South Africa.

Frequently asked questions

How many national parks are there in South Africa?

South Africa has 24 national parks covering about 50,239 km² in total. The largest is Greater Kruger National Park (19,623 km²); the oldest, Kruger National Park, dates from 1926.

What are the largest national parks in South Africa?

Greater Kruger National Park (19,623 km²), Kruger National Park (19,623 km²), Addo Elephant National Park (1,640 km²), Tankwa Karoo National Park (1,436 km²) and Namaqua National Park (1,368 km²).

How much of South Africa is national park?

About 4.1% of the country — 50,239 km² of national parks out of 1,219,090 km² in total.

What is the oldest national park in South Africa?

Kruger National Park, established in 1926, followed by Addo Elephant National Park (1931), Bontebok National Park (1931) and Mountain Zebra National Park (1937).