Kruger National Park
Limpopo · Best Apr to Sep
10 places
Wildlife
Plains Zebra
Equus quaggaNear threatened
The plains zebra (Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchellii), also known as the common zebra or Burchell's zebra, or locally as the " quagga " (not to be confused with the extinct subspecies), is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra.
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
Records9,066 records
Curve from 9,066 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. 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 Plains Zebra is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
9,066 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Plains Zebra
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Zwartberg View Mountain Lodge
Oudtshoorn
Plains Zebra recorded here · Fynbos biome · Gemsbok · Greater kudu
Gives back to Wolwekraal Nature Reserve
From R 5,060 a night
Rhino Sands Safari Camp
Hazyview
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Zululand Conservation Trust and 1 other
From R 22,680 a night
Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse
Riebeek Valley, Riebeek West
Plains Zebra recorded here · Fynbos biome · Black wildebeest · Bontebok
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 5,636 a night
Hutwini Walking Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Spotted hyena
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 11,820 a night
Jaci's Private Lodge
Madikwe
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Jaci's Lodge Trust
From R 31,500 a night
Tanda Tula Safari Camp
Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Montusi Mountain Lodge
Drakensberg, Bergville
Plains Zebra recorded here · Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Common eland
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust and 1 other
From R 6,800 a night
Qambathi Mountain Lodge
Nottingham Road
Plains Zebra recorded here · Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Serval
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 4,100 a night
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · African wild dog · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
Price on request
Mdluli Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
From R 10,670 a night
Mvuradona Safari Lodge
Marloth Park
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Giraffe · Warthog
Gives back to DAKTARI Bush School
From R 2,473 a night
Marataba Mountain Lodge
Marakele National Park
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge
Kruger National Park
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 17,400 a night
Dulini Moya
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Leadwood · Leopard
Gives back to DAKTARI Bush School
From R 28,990 a night
Lion Sands Ivory Lodge
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Price on request
Ziziphus River Lodge
Mjejane Game Reserve, Hectorspruit
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Hippopotamus · African elephant
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 14,000 a night
Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp
Kruger National Park
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Impala · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,980 a night
Lion Sands Tinga Lodge
Kruger National Park
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Price on request
Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp
Kruger National Park
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 17,500 a night
Hlosi Game Lodge
Amakhala Game Reserve
Plains Zebra recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Spekboom
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 4,000 a night
Marataba Safari Lodge
Marakele National Park
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Heritage View Birding Retreat
Delareyville
Plains Zebra recorded here · Grassland biome · Brown hyena · Black backed jackal
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,000 a night
Zululand Lodge
Hluhluwe
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Giraffe · Nyala
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 3,280 a night
Monwana Villa
Thornybush Game Reserve
Plains Zebra recorded here · Savanna biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
The Drakensberg
Next stop
Sandstone amphitheatres and cool mountain air
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Plains Zebra
Plains zebra follow grass and water, which makes them one of the most widespread large animals in the country and a reliable sight almost everywhere there is open savanna or grassland: Kruger and the Lowveld reserves, the Waterberg, Madikwe and Pilanesberg, the Zululand parks and the Free State grasslands.
When to go, park by park
Here all yearEasiest viewing
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kruger | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here |
| Sabi Sand | Here | Here | Here | Here | 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 Plains Zebra is out through the day, and easiest to watch before the heat.
- Midday heat. Often resting in shade or near water.
Where to base yourself
Limpopo
Kruger · Marakele · Timbavati
LimpopoBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesStays in Limpopo
KwaZulu-Natal
Phinda · Hluhluwe-Imfolozi · uKhahlamba-Drakensberg
KwaZulu-NatalBig FiveGuided drivesStays in KwaZulu-Natal
Mpumalanga
Sabi Sand
MpumalangaBig FiveGuided drivesStays in MpumalangaEastern Cape
Amakhala
Eastern CapeBig FiveGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern Cape
Ways to look
IUCN Red List
Near Threatened
Species
Equus quagga
Records
9,066
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Plains Zebra on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
More about the Plains Zebra
Plains zebra follow grass and water, which makes them one of the most widespread large animals in the country and a reliable sight almost everywhere there is open savanna or grassland: Kruger and the Lowveld reserves, the Waterberg, Madikwe and Pilanesberg, the Zululand parks and the Free State grasslands. They are almost always in mixed company, because zebra and wildebeest graze and travel together and each watches for what the other misses.
Season barely matters for finding them. It matters for what you see them doing: after summer rains the herds spread onto fresh grass with foals at foot, and in the dry winter they come to water in numbers, which is when the stallions fight and the dust and noise make it the best watching of the year.
A different animal, the Cape mountain zebra, lives in the Eastern and Western Cape mountains and was down to a few dozen animals in the 1930s. Mountain Zebra National Park outside Cradock exists for it, and seeing one there is a different trip from seeing plains zebra in the Lowveld. Pair zebra country with the Karoo, or with a Big Five reserve where they are the predators' main prey.
When is the best time to see zebra?
Any time of year. The dry winter concentrates herds at water, which is the best watching, and summer brings foals onto fresh grass. Zebra graze through the day, so timing within the day matters less than it does for predators.
What is the difference between plains zebra and Cape mountain zebra?
They are separate species. Plains zebra are the common bushveld and grassland animal, with stripes that carry onto the belly and shadow stripes between the black bands. Cape mountain zebra are smaller, live on mountain slopes in the Eastern and Western Cape, have a white belly and a dewlap, and came within a few dozen animals of extinction. Mountain Zebra National Park near Cradock was proclaimed for them.
Why are zebra always with wildebeest?
The two eat different parts of the same grass, so they do not compete, and mixed herds give more eyes and ears against predators. Zebra see well and wildebeest hear and smell well, which is why the two move together across most of their shared range.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Plains Zebra in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Plains Zebra at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Phinda Private Game Reserve, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, Marakele National Park and Timbavati Private Nature Reserve and other reserves. 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 Plains Zebra in South Africa?
The Plains Zebra is most recorded in Mpumalanga (24% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (21% of records), Limpopo (16% of records), based on 9,066 iNaturalist observations. 70 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Plains Zebra on site or nearby.
What is the conservation status of the Plains Zebra?
The Plains Zebra (Equus quagga) is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
What is the Plains Zebra?
The plains zebra (Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchellii), also known as the common zebra or Burchell's zebra, or locally as the " quagga " (not to be confused with the extinct subspecies), is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra. It ranges from the south of Ethiopia through East Africa to as far south as Botswana and eastern South Africa.