Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Eastern Cape · Year-round
5 places
Wildlife
Cape Buffalo
Syncerus cafferNear threatened
The African buffalo or Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a large African bovine.
Species insights
When to visit
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Best monthsAny month
Recorded in Eastern Cape~644 records
Curve from 5,363 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property and not from this province. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Mpumalanga and beyond
Provinces where Cape Buffalo is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
5,363 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Cape Buffalo
Stays that give back
Across the Eastern Cape
Hlosi Game Lodge
Amakhala Game Reserve
Cape Buffalo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Spekboom
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 4,000 a night
Woodall Country House & Spa
Sundays River Valley, Addo
Cape Buffalo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Black wildebeest · Blue wildebeest
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 7,500 a night
Quatermain's Camp
Paterson
Cape Buffalo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Black wildebeest · Blesbok
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,592 a night
Hitgeheim Country Lodge Addo
Sundays River Valley, Addo
Cape Buffalo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 2,000 a night
Spekboom Tented Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
Cape Buffalo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Black backed jackal · Spotted hyena
From R 1,490 a night
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Cape Buffalo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Nyathi Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
Cape Buffalo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Leopard · Lion
From R 2,901 a night
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Cape Buffalo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Cape Buffalo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kwandwe Fort House
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Cape Buffalo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kwandwe Ecca Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Cape Buffalo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Bukela Game Lodge
Amakhala Game Reserve
Cape Buffalo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Giraffe · Cheetah
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
More stays nearby
Cycads On Sea
St Francis Bay
Fynbos biome · Spekboom
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 2,460 a night
Aasvogelkrans Farm Cottages & Camping
Nieu Bethesda
Nama-Karoo biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa and 1 other
From R 1,760 a night
Pabala Private Nature Reserve
Hankey
Fynbos biome · Giraffe · Impala
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 485 a night
Lupus Den Country House
Sundays River Valley, Addo
Albany Thicket biome · Black backed jackal · Bushbuck
Gives back to Wilderness Foundation Africa
From R 2,600 a night
Forest Hall Guest House
Walmer, Port Elizabeth
Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 1,050 a night
GweGwe Beach Lodge
Mkambati Nature Reserve
From R 12,950 a night
Karoo Cottage - Sneeuberg Nature Reserve
Sneeuberg Nature Reserve, Nieu Bethesda
Nama-Karoo biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 3,100 a night
Karoo Secret Farm Stay
Aberdeen
Nama-Karoo biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,200 a night
Walkerbouts Inn - Rhodes
Rhodes
Grassland biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 600 a night
Storms River Mouth Rest Camp (Tsitsikamma)
Garden Route National Park
Forest biome · Arum lily · Krantz aloe
From R 457 a night
Mountain Zebra National Park
Mountain Zebra National Park
Grassland biome · Black wildebeest · Springbok
From R 449 a night
Langebos Huts
Addo Elephant National Park
Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
From R 2,093 a night
The Garden Route
Next stop
Forests, lagoons, and Knysna's sheltered bay
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Cape Buffalo
Hosts have recorded the Cape Buffalo at stays in or beside Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Addo Elephant National Park and Amakhala Game Reserve.
When to go, park by park
Here all yearEasiest viewing
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kwandwe | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here |
| Addo Elephant | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing |
Darker months are each park's own best season, when thinner bush or scarce water makes viewing easier. A sighting is never guaranteed.
Best hours of the day
- Early morning and late afternoon. The Cape Buffalo is out through the day, and easiest to watch before the heat.
- Midday heat. Often resting in shade or near water.
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
IUCN Red List
Near Threatened
Species
Syncerus caffer
Records
5,363
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Cape Buffalo on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Cape Buffalo in Eastern Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Cape Buffalo at stays in or beside Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Addo Elephant National Park and Amakhala Game Reserve. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Cape Buffalo in South Africa?
The Cape Buffalo is most recorded in Mpumalanga (36% of records), Limpopo (22% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (20% of records), based on 5,363 iNaturalist observations. 12 places to stay on Spekboom in Eastern Cape have recorded the Cape Buffalo on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Cape Buffalo?
The Cape Buffalo is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Addo Elephant National Park: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Amakhala Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the conservation status of the Cape Buffalo?
The Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
What is the Cape Buffalo?
The African buffalo or Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild water buffalo of Asia and its ancestry remains unclear. Syncerus caffer caffer, the Cape buffalo, is the typical subspecies, and the largest one, found in South and East Africa.