Malelane Camp In The Kruger National Park

Private Satellite Camps – Malelane Camp

Road Sign

The Malelane Camp is situated in the southwestern part of the Kruger National Park. It is known as a satellite camp, as it has no restaurant or shops. It is a small and quiet camp, and is the Satellite of Berg-en-dal rest camp.

Malelane Camp is situated in an interesting ecosystem. Mountain bushveld predominates the area, amongst the plains of sweet grass. The mountain bushveld environment attracts many antelope and birds that are not found anywhere else in the Greater Kruger National Park.

Berg-en-dal Rest Camp is just 10 kilometers away, and the Malelane Satellite Camp is just 4 kilometers away from the Malelane Gate. Shopping should be done at the rest camps or the town of Malelane as there are no shop or restaurant facilities in this camp.

Malelane Camp Kruger Park GPS Co-ordinates

The GPS co-ordinates are as follows: -25.4771S , 31.511S

Entrance Sign

It is the only camp in the Kruger National Park that is situated right on the boundary. It overlooks a small pan and the Crocodile River. You can see where the sugar cane farmlands meet the wild Kruger National Park, it is an amazing sight of how everything has been preserved in the Kruger.

The Red Bushwillow, Giant Sycamore Fig and the Magic Guarri Trees dominate the area. The Magic Guarri gets it’s name from the medicinal uses it offers. The twigs can be used as toothbrushes, while the roots can assist with toothache, headaches, convulsions, diarrhea and bilharzia.

Spotted Hyaena can often be seen patrolling the fences at night, and if you are lucky you might see a Civet or Genet around the camp. A variety of bird species can be found around Malelane Camp, and waking up with the sunrise produces a chorus of birds that can be heard. Nothing better than waking up to sounds of the African bush!

Malelane Camp Wildlife

Impala Outside The Gate

All sorts of animals can be seen on the roads around the camp, but a lot of great action happens along the boundary fences and the Crocodile River right in front of Malelane. Vervet Monkeys can be a bit of a pest in the camp, as with any camp in the Kruger National Park, so just keep your containers closed and your eyes open. A walk along the boundary fence can often produce sightings of Elephant.

Around Malelane Camp at night keep your eyes peeled for Small Spotted Genet (Who love to come and clean your braai areas) and Thick-tailed Bushbaby. Spotted Hyaena are ever-present, often patrolling the boundary fences during the darker hours (See below in the video). As mentioned above, Civets can be found close to the boundary fences and sometimes in the camp itself. There have been Leopard sightings outside of the perimeter of the fence as well, and we are sure there are some African Honey Badgers around…

African Elephants often cross the river below and come down to drink late in the day. There are a number of Hippos, especially after heavy rains when the river becomes deeper. The one time we stayed at Malelane Camp we heard Vervet Monkeys and Chacma Baboons go crazy around 9pm; there must have been a Leopard close by, and on the move.

We had a beautiful interaction with two Lesser Bushbaby who were chasing us around, probably wanting to get at our braai, but we did not let them! 

Besides Vervet Monkeys, day time visitors in and around the camp include Impala, Common Warthog, Bushbuck and Southern Tree Squirrel.

The more common birds found in Malelane Camp are the Crested Barbet, Grey-headed Bush Shrike, Natal Spurfowl, Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Cape Glossy Starling, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Burchell’s Starling, Fork-tailed Drongo, Spotted Eagle Owl, Common Waxbill, Grey Go-away Bird, Bennet’s Woodpecker, Golden-breasted Bunting, White-crested Helmet Shrike, Blue Waxbill, Arrowmarked Babbler, Eastern Black-headed Oriole and Helmeted Guineafowl. Vultures and Tawny Eagles can often be seen overhead. You can often hear White-faced Owls during the darker periods of the day. There are a lot of Bats to be seen on that point.

There are a lot of waterbirds down in the Crocodile River below, including Egyptian Goose, Hadeda Ibis, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Water Thick-knee and the more common waterbirds and waders of the Kruger.

Malelane Camp Accommodation

Malelane Camp is private, which means no day visitors or non-residents are allowed to enter the camp. This gives you all the privacy you would need to sit back, relax and enjoy the peacefulness.

There are 15 campsites in this private camp. They are equipped with electricity and ideal for camping and caravanning.

There are 5 bungalows; 4 bungalows that have 4 single beds and 1 that sleeps 3 people. Each bungalow has cupboard space, cutlery, crockery and cooking utensils. There is also air-con and communal ablutions with showers. A communal kitchen and fridge can be found in Malelane Camp as well. There is a communal kitchen with a stove.

Each chalet in Malelane Satellite Camp has a toaster, kettle, microwave, and two plug points to charge your devices. A shower and bathroom are also included. The outside cupboards hold all the utensils. A few of the chalets have their own individual “lapa” areas, which are really nice to sit under during all hours of the day and night. 

The only drawback of this beautiful and lovely Kruger Park camp is the occasional noise from the sugar cane factories across the Crocodile River and the trucks driving up and down the highway. It is an underrated camp, and a really beautiful. The calm and peace compared to the other camps is outstanding. Please watch the video below to have a look around the camp.

The Malelane Private Camp has no reception and people staying here are required to check in at the Malelane entrance gate.

Malelane Camp Gate Opening Times:

• November, December, January – Opens 4.30am; Closes 6.30pm.
• February – Opens 5.30am; Closes 6.30pm.
• October, March – Opens 5.30am; Closes 6.00pm.
• April, August, September – Opens 6.00am; Closes 6.00pm.
• May, June, July – Opens 6.00am; Closes 5.30pm.