Destinations / South Africa
South Africa with kids
South Africa lets a family combine a real city break with a Big Five safari in reserves that are malaria-free, so nobody takes anti-malarial tablets. Cape Town has an aquarium, a penguin beach and a cable car, and the lodges at Madikwe and in the Eastern Cape run children's programmes. The catch is that lodge rules decide everything: shared game drives often exclude under-6s, so the safari half works best from about age 5 or 6.
South Africa
Which ages it suits
Ages 0–2 · Possible
Cape Town is fine, but many lodges bar under-3s or under-6s from shared game drives, so a safari means private vehicles or short family drives.
Ages 3–6 · Good
Cape Town works well; at Shamwari children aged 3 or 4 and over can go on drives (the pages disagree), at Madikwe Safari Lodge under-6s are kept off shared drives.
Ages 7–12 · Great
Best age: full game drives, junior-ranger style programmes and the aquarium and penguins.
Ages 13–17 · Great
Treated as adults on safari at most lodges, with walking safaris from 16 at Madikwe Safari Lodge.
When to go with children
Weather for kids and school-holiday crowds together. Best: February, March, April, September, October, November.
- January · 22°C
- Cape Town hot, dry and busy with school holidays; Madikwe is hot with afternoon storms and thick bush that hides game.
- March · 21°C
- Warm in Cape Town with fewer crowds after school holidays end; good for beaches and the aquarium.
- June · 16°C
- Cape Town winter is cold and wet, and Madikwe mornings are cold on open vehicles; game is easier to see, but this is the poorest month for the city half.
- August · 16°C
- Dry-season game viewing at its best and Cape Town cool; a good safari-first trip.
- October · 18°C
- Spring: Cape Town warming up, wildlife active and prices below the December peak.
- December · 21°C
- December and early January are the busiest and most expensive weeks, in Cape Town and at lodges.
Parks and days out, by car
Typical minutes by car from V&A Waterfront. School-holiday traffic can add a lot.
Open daily 9:30am to 6pm with a daily feeding and presentation programme and a Penguin Experience; ticket prices are sold only via the shop, so check before you go. The site links to a construction FAQ, so confirm which sections are open.
Best for 2–12 · Tickets on GetYourGuide · Official site
Cable car to the summit, running about 07:30 to 20:00 when open; it closes in strong wind and low cloud (it was closed for weather when checked), so book a flexible ticket and go on a clear morning.
Best for 4–17 · Tickets on GetYourGuide · Official site
African penguins viewed from boardwalks across three beaches. From 1 November 2026 the international gate fee is R282 for adults and R138 for children 2–11, under 2 free; card payments only, and parking fills early in summer.
Best for 2–12 · Adult day from about $15 · Tickets on GetYourGuide · Official site
Malaria-free reserve with lodge programmes for children; shared drives often exclude under-6s, so check each lodge's rules.
Best for 5–17 · Tickets on GetYourGuide · Official site
Described by the reserve as malaria-free, with a Kids on Safari Adventure Centre at Riverdene; game drive age limits are stated differently on different pages (3 or 4), so confirm before booking.
Best for 3–17 · Tickets on GetYourGuide · Official site
Main Lodge and The Homestead welcome children of all ages; three other lodges take no children aged 10 and under.
Best for 3–17 · Tickets on GetYourGuide · Official site
Where to stay
V&A Waterfront (Cape Town)
Walkable base next to the Two Oceans Aquarium and harbour, with easy restaurant options for children.
Madikwe Game Reserve
Malaria-free Big Five reserve in the North West province, reached by road or a short flight from Johannesburg.
Eastern Cape (Shamwari and Kariega)
Malaria-free private reserves reached from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) or the Makhanda area; both have children's programmes.
Family resorts we checked
Family suites with a separate children's room and plunge pool, in a malaria-free Big Five reserve.
⚠ Kopano and Dithaba camps are restricted to guests aged 16 and over unless booked exclusively; use Lelapa.
Waterfront location beside the aquarium with a sea-facing family room.
⚠ Search results describe the property as the InterContinental Table Bay (formerly The Table Bay Hotel); the Sun International room page could not be loaded, so details are unconfirmed.
A family lodge built for children, with a play centre and private family vehicles.
⚠ Shamwari's own pages give different minimum ages for game drives (3, 4 or 'under 3 not permitted'); confirm in writing.
Children of all ages are welcome, and the programme fills the midday gap between drives.
⚠ Settlers Drift, River Lodge and Ukhozi Lodge do not take children aged 10 and under.
Suites that accommodate two children within the Waterfront.
⚠ Previously named Radisson Blu Waterfront; details come from search results and were not confirmed on a loaded page.
A four-person family room at the Waterfront at the lower end of local prices.
⚠ The official page could not be loaded; room details are from a search summary.
A 12-night trip, paced for kids
Cape Town city days
Stay at the Waterfront for the aquarium and an afternoon on the harbour. Keep the first two days short while jet lag clears.
Penguins and the peninsula
Drive south to Boulders in the morning and add a Cape Point stop if the children cope with a long drive. Go early to avoid summer parking pressure.
Table Mountain
Take the cable car on the clearest morning, since it closes in wind and cloud. Have a rest afternoon.
Safari
Fly to Gqeberha for Shamwari or Kariega, or to Johannesburg for Madikwe, and stay at least three nights. Book private or family drives for children under 6.
Wind down
Use a lodge day for the children's programme and a pool, then fly home.
Good to know
- The catch
- Booking a safari lodge first and checking child rules afterwards: many bar young children from shared drives or from the whole property, so confirm your children's ages in writing.
- Flights
- Cape Town and Johannesburg both have nonstop flights from London, roughly 11 to 12 hours; from the US East Coast most routes make one stop. Check current schedules.
- Jet lag
- South Africa is UTC+2: 1 to 2 hours ahead of the UK and 6 to 7 ahead of the US East Coast, so jet lag is mild.
- Health
- Madikwe and the Eastern Cape reserves named here are described as malaria-free, but the Kruger area and northern KwaZulu-Natal are not, so check your route; sun is strong, and Cape Town tap water is safe to drink.
- Safety
- Take care with crime in cities (avoid walking with valuables, use ride-hailing at night); check the current UK FCDO and US State Department advice for South Africa before booking.
- Getting around
- Hire a car (drive on the left) for Cape Town and the peninsula, with child seats booked ahead; lodges arrange transfers or air-strip pick-ups, and safari vehicles may not have child seats.
- Budget
- About $300 a night for a mid-range family room for four, $1,100 for luxury, plus about $120 a day for food, transport and outings.
Pairs well with: Mauritius, Maldives
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