South Africa has one of Africa's largest and most developed national park systems, attracting millions of visitors each year. But the parks do not attract visitors in equal numbers. Some receive millions of entries, while others remain much quieter.

For a 2026 comparison, the latest complete SANParks annual figures available are for the 2024/25 financial year. SANParks recorded 6,233,184 guest visits across its parks during that period, up from 6,070,046 in 2023/24. Kruger alone recorded 1,868,416 visits.

One important distinction is needed: SANParks sometimes reports entries or visits, rather than unique individual tourists. This matters particularly for Table Mountain National Park, which is an open-access urban park with multiple entry points.

1. Table Mountain National Park

Table Mountain National Park is the busiest national park in South Africa by the park's own reported annual visit figure.

SANParks says the park receives more than 4.2 million visits annually. It surrounds large parts of Cape Town and includes attractions such as Table Mountain, Cape Point and the Boulders penguin colony.

Between April and October 2025 alone, the park recorded 1,708,289 entries across its access points, almost 20% higher than the same period in 2024.

2. Kruger National Park

Kruger remains South Africa's biggest traditional safari destination by visitor numbers.

SANParks recorded 1,868,416 visits in 2024/25, compared with 1,815,404 in 2023/24. The figure was also above the park's 2019/20 pre-COVID figure of 1,833,061.

The park covers more than two million hectares and extends along South Africa's borders with Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

3. Addo Elephant National Park

Addo Elephant National Park is one of South Africa's best-known wildlife parks outside the Kruger system.

The park has historically recorded more than 300,000 annual visitors. SANParks reported 305,510 guests in the 2017/18 financial year, making it one of the country's major visitor parks.

More recent SANParks reporting continues to identify Addo among the country's major tourism parks. During National Parks Week in September 2025, Addo recorded a 47.3% increase in visitor numbers compared with the previous year's campaign.

4. Garden Route National Park

Garden Route National Park combines several major sections, including Wilderness, Knysna and Tsitsikamma.

The park is positioned along one of South Africa's busiest tourism corridors and attracts visitors for forests, beaches, lagoons and coastal landscapes.

SANParks reported strong festive-season demand going into 2026, with additional seasonal staff and visitor infrastructure deployed across the three sections.

5. West Coast National Park

West Coast National Park is located north of Cape Town and is particularly known for its lagoon, coastal landscapes and seasonal wildflowers.

It is one of the six parks SANParks identifies as a priority for tourism growth under its Tourism Revenue Growth Plan.

6. Augrabies Falls National Park

Augrabies Falls National Park protects the dramatic Orange River gorge and the Augrabies Falls.

It is one of SANParks' established tourism parks and regularly features among the parks included in national visitor campaigns.

During the 2026 National Parks Week, Augrabies was one of the parks where free access was offered to qualifying South African day visitors during the designated weekday period.

7. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Kgalagadi sits across the South Africa-Botswana border and is famous for its dry Kalahari landscape and large predators.

Its visitor numbers can be influenced strongly by seasonal travel patterns. During National Parks Week in 2025, SANParks recorded a 26.7% increase in Kgalagadi visitors compared with the equivalent campaign period the previous year.

8. Mapungubwe National Park

Mapungubwe is in Limpopo near the borders of Botswana and Zimbabwe.

It combines wildlife tourism with an important archaeological landscape. SANParks reported a 52.3% increase in visitor numbers during National Parks Week 2025.

9. Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Golden Gate Highlands is known for sandstone cliffs, mountain scenery and grassland landscapes in the Free State.

SANParks lists it among six priority parks targeted for tourism growth, alongside Agulhas, Garden Route, Marakele, Mapungubwe and West Coast.

10. Mountain Zebra National Park

Mountain Zebra National Park in the Eastern Cape is smaller than Kruger and Addo but has developed a strong tourism presence around its mountain scenery and wildlife.

During National Parks Week 2025, SANParks reported a 52% increase in visitor numbers compared with the previous year's campaign.