Black rhino sanctuary
Northern Cape, South Africa
Mokala is a national park south-west of Kimberley in the Northern Cape, where the Kalahari sand meets the Karoo, named for the camelthorn trees that dot its plains. It was created to hold rare and valuable species, so the wildlife is unusual: roan and sable antelope, tsessebe, black and white rhino, buffalo and giraffe, but no lions or elephants, which keeps the drives relaxed. It is malaria-free, quiet, and a comfortable overnight from Kimberley with rest camp chalets and campsites inside the park.
The species most recorded in Northern Cape, drawn from citizen-science observations. Tap any to find stays where it has been recorded. These are records of past sightings, so nothing here is a guarantee you will see it.
Ranked by how often they are recorded in the province, from iNaturalist observations. Tap one to find stays where it lives.
Species birders log most in this province. Numbers are records, not guarantees.
Occurrence data from iNaturalist, aggregated by province. It reflects where a species is seen across Northern Cape, not confirmed sightings inside this reserve.
Aug-Oct (flowers), Mar-May
Why book here
Wild places survive when the communities around them earn more from protecting wildlife than from anything that would replace it. Every stay you book through Spekboom carries a conservation contribution built into the price, never added on top, so choosing where you sleep becomes a way to fund the people and projects keeping this landscape intact.
Request inside-park camps here. Spekboom confirms with SANParks, then you pay on Spekboom. Mix in a gateway stay from the same list if you want nights outside the fence.
Inside parkMosu Lodge is the main rest camp of Mokala National Park, set in the rolling thornveld and dolerite koppies south west of Kimberley in the Northern Cape. The camp looks out over a waterhole and the open plains beyond, and its name, meaning camel thorn in Setswana, reflects the acacia-studded country that defines this quiet, lesser-known park. Mokala is best known as a sanctuary for rare and endangered game. Roan and sable antelope, tsessebe, black and white rhino, buffalo and Cape mountain zebra are among the species protected here, moving across grassland and broken hill country that rewards slow, unhurried drives. The lodge offers comfortable chalets and a restaurant overlooking the waterhole, making it a relaxed base for a self-drive safari well off the busier tourist routes. The wide skies, gentle landscape and abundance of plains game give Mosu an easy, restorative character.
Mokala National Park is in Northern Cape, South Africa.
Yes. Mokala National Park is in an area recorded as malaria-free, which is why it is a common choice for families with young children and for a first safari. Malaria risk can shift with the season and the year, so confirm current advice with a travel clinic before you go.
In Northern Cape, commonly recorded species include mammals such as Gemsbok, Cape Fox, Meerkat, Springbok and birds including Red Lark, Sociable Weaver, Tractrac Chat, based on iNaturalist occurrence data. These reflect the wider province, not confirmed sightings inside the reserve.
Request inside-park rest camps on Spekboom. We confirm the dates with SANParks, then you pay on Spekboom. SANParks assigns the unit after confirmation. Gateway lodges and guesthouses listed here book the same way, so you can mix nights inside the park with a stay outside.
SANParks opens rest-camp bookings about a year in advance, and popular camps sell out within days for school holidays, long weekends and peak season. Request as early as you can on Spekboom for those dates. Stays just outside the park usually have availability much closer to the time, and you can book those here too.
Yes. SANParks charges a daily conservation fee per person on top of accommodation, with lower rates for South African residents and SADC nationals. Wild Card members do not pay the daily fee. Tariffs are revised each year, so check current rates when you book.
The best time to visit Mokala National Park is Aug-Oct (flowers), Mar-May.
Popular activities at Mokala National Park include game drives, hiking, camping, bird watching, photography.
4 places are listed in and near Mokala National Park on Spekboom, from inside-park rest camps to nearby lodges. Request them here; Spekboom handles the SANParks confirmation. Every booking funds conservation.
Other parks and reserves that share something with Mokala National Park.
Park rules, maps and daily conservation fees. Book rest camps and nearby stays on Spekboom, not on the SANParks website.