Limpopo
Kruger · Welgevonden · Marakele
Big FiveSelf-driveGuided drives
Stays in LimpopoWhere to see
Where to see the Vervet Monkey in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Vervet Monkey at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve and Goukamma Nature Reserve.
Chlorocebus pygerythrus
Planning a trip
When and where to find the Vervet Monkey
Hosts have recorded the Vervet Monkey at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve and Goukamma Nature Reserve.
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 Vervet Monkey 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
Mpumalanga
Sabi Sand
MpumalangaBig FiveGuided drivesStays in Mpumalanga
Western Cape
Goukamma · Gondwana · Garden Route
Western CapeBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Western Cape
KwaZulu-Natal
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi · Harold Johnson · Ithala
KwaZulu-NatalBig FiveSelf-driveStays in KwaZulu-Natal
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
Chlorocebus pygerythrus
Records
6,852
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Vervet Monkey on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Vervet Monkey in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Vervet Monkey at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Goukamma Nature Reserve, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, Gondwana Game Reserve and Tsitsikamma National Park 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 Vervet Monkey in South Africa?
The Vervet Monkey is most recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (36% of records), Mpumalanga (21% of records), Limpopo (14% of records), based on 6,852 iNaturalist observations. 52 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Vervet Monkey on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Vervet Monkey?
The Vervet Monkey 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. Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; Sabi Sand Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep optimal; Goukamma Nature Reserve: year-round, warm Oct-Apr; Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Vervet Monkey?
The vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus Chlorocebus. The five distinct subspecies can be found mostly throughout Southern Africa, as well as some of the eastern countries.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Vervet Monkey
Every stay on the Vervet Monkey 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