Mopani Rest Camp
Dam-side main camp around a baobab · North, on Pioneer Dam, about 74 km from Phalaborwa Gate · SANParks (South African National Parks)
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Budget
Inside the park
Park-run (SANParks)
A main rest camp on the banks of Pioneer Dam in the mopane belt north of Letaba, about 74 km from Phalaborwa Gate. SANParks names its signature feature as a huge gnarled old baobab in the heart of the camp. There is no campsite here; campers use Tsendze, 7 km south, and Mopani also checks in Boulders Bush Lodge and the Shipandani sleepover hide. Bungalows start at R1,590 a unit. The camp reopened on 30 January 2026 with limited units after the floods. Choose it for dam views and the Lonely Bull backpacking trail, which starts here. Owned and run by SANParks.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Views over Pioneer Dam
- Bungalows from R1,590
- Start of the Lonely Bull backpacking trail
- Gateway to Tsendze, Boulders and Shipandani
Cons
- No campsite in the camp
- Limited units after the 2026 floods
- Rates are a reseller's guideline
What's here
- Restaurant
- Solar or 24h power
- Self-catering
- Laundry
Arranged from the lodge:
- Game drives
- Guided walks
- Night drives
Read from Mopani Rest Camp's own website in July 2026. Anything not listed we could not confirm, which is not the same as it being absent.
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Kruger National Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryR602 per international adult per day at USD 1 = ZAR 16.65 (6 Oct 2026); R692, about $42, from 1 Nov 2026.
- $36per person, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults pay $216 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
SANParks charges no vehicle fee for private cars at Kruger.
Almost every private lodge inside Kruger excludes the SANParks conservation fee from its rate, so you pay it on top for each night.
The full fee schedule for Kruger National ParkRates at Mopani Rest Camp
From $48 pppn (reseller rate). Reseller rates from krugerpark.co.za (Siyabona Africa), read 6 October 2026, for 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027, per unit per night, self-catering. SANParks prints no unit rates and asks you to request a quote via Online Bookings or Central Reservations on +27 (0)12 428 9111. Bungalow R1,590 (about $95 per unit, $48 each for two); cottage R1,800; guest cottage R2,922; guest house from R8,975. No campsite in the camp; Tsendze rustic campsite is 7 km south. Mopani reopened on 30 January 2026 with limited units after the floods. Extra on top: the SANParks conservation fee (R602, about $36, per international adult per day until 31 October 2026; R692, about $42, from 1 November 2026 on figures SANParks has linked but we read through secondary sources) and SANParks' 1% community fund on accommodation and activities. SANParks says its rates and fees include VAT.
Self-catering. You cook. Nothing else is included unless the entry says so.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Rates checked 6 October 2026 and converted at R16.65 to the US dollar (rate of that date); re-check before you book. SANParks does not print its unit rates online, so every SANParks figure here is a reseller rate from krugerpark.co.za (Siyabona Africa) for 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027, quoted per unit and shown per person for two sharing. Private lodge figures come from each lodge's own rate page unless the entry says reseller. The SANParks conservation fee is extra almost everywhere: R602 (about $36) per international adult per day until 31 October 2026, R692 (about $42) from 1 November 2026.
Questions about Mopani Rest Camp
How do I book Mopani?
Through SANParks: Online Bookings at sanparks.org or Central Reservations on +27 (0)12 428 9111. SANParks opens bookings 11 months ahead, on the first working day of each month. Units may be occupied from 14:00 and must be vacated by 10:00.
Which gate is closest to Mopani?
Phalaborwa Gate, about 74 km away (SANParks). Phalaborwa (Gateway) Airport is about 3 km from the gate.
Can I camp at Mopani?
Not in the camp itself. The reseller lists no campsite, and SANParks' Tsendze rustic campsite is about 7 km south, checked in through Mopani.