The Pilanesberg

The park's rare rock types and structures make it a unique geological feature. The park is also known as "The Volcano that gave birth to a game reserve".

It differs to Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater in that its volcano walls have collapsed inward thereby making many small hills inside the park as opposed to Ngorongoro crater that still has its wall intact.



Lake Mankwe sits in the centre of the park and is the park's focal point.

When the summer rains fall the hills channel the water to the lake thereby keeping the lake full for most if not all the year.

This picture of the sun rising over Lake Mankwe shows some of the hills in the background…

About the Pilanesberg

• Don’t be surprised when you see both Impala and Springbok as the Park contains animals found in both the Kruger and Kalahari. This is because it lies where the two vegetation zones meet

• It is a big-five Park and also has cheetah and wild dogs - the 'super seven'

• The Park is situated in the North West province of South Africa and is just a 2-hour drive from Johannesburg so it makes an ideal weekend destination

• The Park is situated in a malaria-free zone

• What we like about the Pilanesberg is that animals that are difficult to see in other parks are easily seen here - animals such as white rhino, black rhino, eland, sable, tsessebe, brown hyena and red hartebeest

• Buffalo, which are common in the Kruger, tend to be a challenge here and we have had just two sightings of these elusive animals

• The park is also the ideal honeymoon destination as the famous Sun City / Lost City casino resorts are situated between Bakubung and Kwa Maritane resorts thus providing easy access to either the park or Sun City

• The bird hides are very rewarding for wildlife photographers so you should make a point of spending a few hours at each hide, especially in the winter months of June to September.

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