Where to see
Where to see the Bontebok in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Bontebok at stays in or beside Gondwana Game Reserve, De Hoop Nature Reserve and Bontebok National Park.
Damaliscus pygargus pygargus
Planning a trip
When and where to find the Bontebok
Hosts have recorded the Bontebok at stays in or beside Gondwana Game Reserve, De Hoop Nature Reserve and Bontebok National Park.
When to go, park by park
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gondwana | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing |
| De Hoop | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here |
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 Bontebok 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
Guided drives from a lodge
A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.
Where hosts record it
Species
Damaliscus pygargus pygargus
Records
4,023
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Bontebok on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Bontebok in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Bontebok at stays in or beside Gondwana Game Reserve, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Bontebok National Park, Table Mountain National Park and West Coast National Park. 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 Bontebok in South Africa?
The Bontebok is most recorded in Western Cape (54% of records), Gauteng (14% of records), Eastern Cape (11% of records), based on 4,023 iNaturalist observations. 16 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Bontebok on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Bontebok?
The Bontebok 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. Gondwana Game Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; De Hoop Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Bontebok National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Table Mountain National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Bontebok?
The bontebok is an antelope found in South Africa, Lesotho and Namibia. The bontebok has two subspecies; the bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus), occurring naturally in the Fynbos and Renosterveld areas of the Western Cape, and the blesbok occurring in the highveld.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Bontebok
Every stay on the Bontebok page lists the species its host has recorded on or near the property. A record is a sighting, never a promise.
See where to stay