The 10 cheapest places to stay inside Kruger National Park

A Kruger National Park safari doesn’t have to cost thousands of rand a night.

SANParks offers a range of budget-friendly accommodation, from basic campsites to simple huts, allowing visitors to stay inside the park without paying those luxury-lodge prices.

For travellers willing to camp or choose basic accommodation, some options start at under R500 per night during lower-rate periods.

The cheapest places to stay at Kruger National Park

Here are 10 of the cheapest options to consider:

Camp	Accommodation	From*	Location	What you get
Punda Maria	Campsite	R399	Northern Kruger	Campsite, communal ablutions and camp facilities
Letaba	Campsite	R410	Central/northern Kruger	Camping, ablutions, shop and restaurant
Shingwedzi	Campsite	R410	Northern Kruger	Camping and access to rest-camp facilities
Maroela	Campsite	R423	Near Orpen	Powered sites, ablutions and communal kitchen
Malelane	Campsite	R423	Southern Kruger	Camping beside the Crocodile River
Crocodile Bridge	Campsite	R488	Southeastern Kruger	Camping and communal facilities
Satara	Campsite	R488	Central Kruger	Camping in a popular game-viewing area
Pretoriuskop	Campsite	R508	Southwestern Kruger	Camping and access to rest-camp facilities
Lower Sabie	Basic hut	R607	Southeastern Kruger	Basic hut with a bed and communal facilities
Pretoriuskop	Basic hut	R640	Southwestern Kruger	Basic room with a bed

*Starting rates for the relevant 2026/27 tariff periods. Prices vary by season, accommodation type and availability. SANParks also adds a 1% community fund to accommodation reservations.

The cheapest way to stay in Kruger

If keeping costs down is the priority, camping is generally your best bet.

Punda Maria, Letaba, Shingwedzi, Maroela, Malelane, Crocodile Bridge, Satara and Pretoriuskop all offer relatively inexpensive campsites.

Some have powered sites, while facilities vary between camps. Maroela, for example, has a more rustic feel and relies on nearby Orpen for some services.

The big advantage is that you can bring your own tent and cooking equipment and spend your money on exploring the park instead.

Want a bed instead of a tent?

If you don’t want to camp, basic huts can offer a cheaper alternative to Kruger’s standard bungalows.

Lower Sabie has basic huts from around R607 during the lower-rate periods, while Pretoriuskop has basic huts from around R640.

These are deliberately simple accommodation options, but they provide a bed and a roof without the price tag of a luxury safari unit.

Which cheap camp is best?

Well, that depends on what you want from your trip. For the lowest possible price, Punda Maria camping is among the cheapest options.

For wildlife, Satara is an appealing budget choice because of its location in central Kruger and surrounding open grasslands.

For scenery, Lower Sabie is hard to beat, with its position overlooking the Sabie River.

And if you want a classic camping trip, Maroela, Letaba and Shingwedzi offer affordable ways to sleep inside the park.

But don’t forget the other costs

The accommodation price isn’t the full cost of a Kruger trip. You’ll also need to budget for the daily conservation fee, fuel, food and any activities such as guided game drives or walks.

For the 2025/26 tariff year, South African citizens and residents pay R134 per adult and R67 per child aged two to 11 per day for the conservation fee.

For SADC nationals, the tariff fee is R275 per adult and R137 per child per day. International visitors will have to pay R602 per adult and R300 per child per day.

The fee changes annually, so check the applicable rate when booking.

The biggest saving is therefore to keep the accommodation basic, self-drive and cook your own meals. You can then spend more of your budget on what you actually came to Kruger for: being out in the bush.