South Africa is one of the most diverse travel destinations we know – and we say that after having been there six times. Whether you’re looking forward to a safari adventure in Kruger National Park, want to explore breathtaking landscapes like the Garden Route, or enjoy the mix of city and nature in Cape Town: with the right South Africa packing list, you’ll be prepared for anything.

To make packing easier for you, we’ve created a practical packing list for South Africa based on our experience. Of course, it won’t be suitable for everyone – what you should pack always depends on your individual plans and preferences. Our packing list is therefore not universally applicable, but rather intended as inspiration.

• Before you pack your suitcase
• 1. Documents and papers
• 2. Travel credit card
• 3. Suitcase and backpack
• 4. Clothing
• 5. Technology and equipment
• 6. Health and Hygiene
• 7. First Aid Kit
• 8. Everything for a Safari
• 9. Everyday Life and Other Items
• What You Can Safely Leave at Home
• Packing List for South Africa – Our Conclusion

Before You Pack Your Suitcase

Consider the Climate and Seasons: In South Africa, you should be prepared for the weather to be quite varied – sometimes you’ll experience several seasons in one day. It can be fresh in the morning, really hot at midday, and cool again in the evening. Be sure to pack a good sunscreen (SPF 50), as the sun can be quite blazing. Best Time to Travel to South Africa.

Suitcase or Backpack: Consider what suits your travel style better. For road trips, a suitcase is perfectly sufficient. If you’re planning hikes or longer distances off the beaten track, a backpack may be more practical. Ultimately, however, it’s a matter of taste as to what you prefer to travel with.

Pack versatile clothing: Go for the layered approach. The weather can vary greatly depending on the region and time of day. Light clothing for hot days, warm layers for cool evenings, and weatherproof clothing for unexpected rain showers should definitely be included in your pack. Don’t forget hiking boots, a swimsuit, and a hat!

‍♀️ Safety first: South Africa is beautiful, but the security situation can vary by region. Use a Pacsafe* or a similar secure bag to store valuables like your passport, credit cards, and cash. It’s also a good idea to transport expensive items out of sight.

Safari: Comfortable clothing in neutral colors (beige, khaki), a light jacket for cool mornings, and good binoculars and a telephoto zoom lens for wildlife observation are a must! You can find out more here: Packing list for safaris.

1. Documents and paperwork

Before you set off, it’s best to double-check that you have all the important documents. Very important: Your passport should be valid for at least 30 days after your return trip – it’s best to double-check beforehand! As a German citizen, you do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. If you plan to stay longer or have a different nationality, find out about the entry requirements in advance.

A free credit card is extremely useful in South Africa, as many accommodations, restaurants, and shops now accept them. Nevertheless, it’s still worth carrying some cash (rand) with you, especially for markets or tips. Also important: international health insurance. Nobody wants to use it, but better safe than sorry – and proof of vaccination should also be in your luggage. More on this here: The most important travel insurance.

For onward travel to neighboring countries, proof of yellow fever may be required. Check this beforehand and take a look at your vaccination record to make sure all standard vaccinations are up to date. Make copies of everything (e.g., digitally in the cloud) – this way you’re on the safe side if something gets lost.

Pro tip: We always carry a small “fake wallet” with us. We only ever have an expired credit and health insurance card in it, plus usually around €20 in cash in the local currency. So in the event of a “corrupt police check” or a robbery, there wouldn’t be much to take from us.

The following should be in your luggage:

• Passport
• Vaccination certificate
• Proof of international health insurance
• Health insurance card
• Travel credit cards (preferably two different ones)
• International driving license
• National driving license

2. Travel Credit Card

A good travel credit card is a must-have for your trip to South Africa. Not only can you use it to conveniently pay in hotels, restaurants, shops, and markets, but you can also easily withdraw cash at most ATMs. In fact, you often don’t need much cash, as card payments are accepted almost everywhere in South Africa. However, you should still have some cash with you for tips, parking attendants, or smaller market stalls.

Make sure you choose a card with no foreign currency fees to save unnecessary costs. It’s also worth having a second card as a backup in case one gets lost or blocked. Inform your bank about your trip in advance to avoid payment freezes due to suspicious activity. To be on the safe side, you should write down your card details and emergency numbers separately.

3. Suitcase and Backpack

Whether you use a suitcase or a backpack – it all depends on your travel style. For road trips and accommodations with paved roads and paths, a suitcase is usually more practical. However, if you’re planning hikes, safaris, or staying in remote areas, a backpack might be more suitable. In any case, make sure your luggage is manageable and not too heavy.

Whether we use a backpack, suitcase, or travel bag depends on the destination and the length of the trip. While Marco usually only travels with a carry-on suitcase (even when we’re traveling through Africa for 3 months^^), I prefer to use my travel bag on wheels. It’s practical, has enough storage space, and isn’t too big. It’s also not as “stubborn” as a suitcase.

What we take with us on every trip: packing cubes! These are super practical for keeping your backpack or suitcase organized. A daypack is also an absolute must-have for excursions, hikes, or safaris. After all, your water bottle, camera, binoculars, sweater, and other items have to be stored somewhere.

4. Clothing

When packing for South Africa, you should focus on versatile and practical clothing. Neutral colors like beige or khaki and light, breathable clothing are ideal for safaris – ideally with long sleeves and trousers to protect you from the sun and mosquitoes.

Since temperatures can fluctuate significantly between morning, midday, and evening, layering is perfect: a fleece jacket for cooler hours and a rain jacket/windbreaker for sudden showers are essential. Also, comfortable shoes like hiking boots for uneven terrain, sneakers for the city, and flip-flops/sandals for summer days.

Don’t forget your swimsuit for the great beaches or the lodge pool, and a few casual outfits for restaurants or city trips. We also like to bring UV shirts, which are very useful for longer stays on the water or in the mountains.

Pro tip: We always pack enough clothes for about 5 to 7 days. In all the countries we’ve traveled to, we’ve always been able to do our laundry somewhere. This isn’t a problem at all in South Africa, either. Every now and then, we also bring travel-friendly paste* so we can quickly soak a few items of clothing in the sink.

Packing List South Africa – Bolle’s Clothes

Packing List South Africa – Marco’s Clothes

5. Technology and Equipment

As travel bloggers, we naturally always have a lot of technology with us – after all, we want to capture the most beautiful moments and share them with you. A good camera with a telephoto zoom lens is essential on safari for capturing animals from a distance. This includes spare batteries, enough memory cards, and a small cleaning kit.

We usually use our iPhone for quick snapshots or stories. We also always carry a power bank, which ensures that the camera and phone last all day. A tripod can be extremely useful, for example, for sunrises when you don’t want to constantly hold the camera in your hand, or for beautiful couple photos.

Don’t forget a power adapter (type D/M), which you can buy at any local supermarket if necessary. A USB charger for the car is also super practical. This allows you to charge your phone and camera in the car – a real game changer, especially on longer journeys.

6. Health and Hygiene

No one wants to be slowed down by minor aches and pains or unnecessary stress when traveling. A well-stocked first aid kit with bandages, painkillers, and the like should definitely be in your luggage. A sunscreen with a high SPF helps against the sun, and a good mosquito repellent against annoying mosquitoes.

Practical items like a travel towel, solid soap and shampoo, or a hanging toiletry bag save space and make life easier on the go – literally. We never travel without earplugs! You never know how soundproof the accommodations are or if you’ll have noisy neighbors.

For all women: Period underwear* is truly a game changer! You travel not only comfortably, but also sustainably. It’s absolutely worth its weight in gold, especially on long days of travel and at night.

7. First Aid Kit

To be honest, we rarely need anything from our first aid kit, but it’s always a good feeling to be prepared for different situations. Having everything at hand not only saves stress, but also time – especially when you’re in a hurry!

Be sure to pack painkillers, anti-diarrheal tablets, and some blister plasters – they’re worth their weight in gold after long hikes or safaris. A disinfectant spray, mosquito repellent, and a small supply of personal medications should also be included.

Savings tip: We always order everything for our travel first-aid kit from the online pharmacy APO-Discounter*. The prices are simply unbeatable compared to a traditional pharmacy. There are, of course, many other providers online; just take a look around. However, we are very satisfied with APO-Discounter.

8. Everything for a Safari

If you’d like to go on safari in South Africa, we have a few tips for you. We generally no longer travel without our binoculars. We use them not only on safari, but also on hikes or boat trips.

A suitable lens for a safari is a so-called telephoto zoom lens. This way, you can get close to the animals despite the distance and take great photos. A beanbag chair is also very useful for this, as you can hold the camera steady, for example, out of the car window.

To ensure you are well dressed: Opt for earthy, neutral colors like beige or khaki and avoid bright tones that could scare the animals. This includes sturdy shoes for uneven paths and a warm jacket, as it can get quite chilly early in the morning and in the evening.

9. Everyday Life and Other Things

For your everyday life in South Africa and shorter excursions, there are a few things that will make traveling easier: A filtered drinking bottle ensures that you always have clean water at hand. For safaris, boat tours, and hikes, binoculars are worthwhile, for example, for observing animals from a distance.

We also always carry one or two jute bags (or purses) with us, which are particularly suitable for shopping and visiting the beach. A quick-drying towel and flip-flops should also be in your luggage. And if you’re caught in the rain, a small umbrella in your suitcase is also worth its weight in gold.

Another essential in our luggage: a comfortable travel pillow. We’ve often experienced pillows in hotels and accommodations that were of very poor quality, which meant we simply couldn’t sleep well. Since then, we’ve stopped leaving that to chance.

What You Can Safely Leave at Home

There are also some things you can safely leave at home. This will save you a bit of space in your luggage. We often had water shoes with us, but usually didn’t use them at all or only once. If you do need them, you can often buy them cheaply locally. You can also leave a snorkeling set at home. If you want to go snorkeling, there’s usually good equipment available to rent locally.

A beach blanket also takes up unnecessary space and can easily be replaced with a beach towel. We wouldn’t even bring valuable jewelry if we were you. We also don’t need a travel hairdryer or a travel iron. Better accommodations usually have them.

E-readers or tablets also save space and weight if you enjoy reading. This way, you can take all your favorite books and magazines with you to South Africa. Also, avoid carrying too much cash. Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, and you can safely and conveniently withdraw cash on site.

Packing List for South Africa – Our Conclusion

A packing list is always very subjective and different for everyone. Perhaps our South Africa packing list will help you as inspiration. With our packing list, you’ll be perfectly prepared for South Africa – whether it’s a safari, a road trip, or a relaxing day at the beach.

Remember to pack a variety of things, opt for practical clothing, and leave room for the most important things. You might not actually need many things, but it’s simply a good feeling to be prepared for many things. Do you have any other tips or things that shouldn’t be missing from your packing list? Let us know in the comments!