Shimuwini Bushveld Camp
Bushveld camp rebuilt after the 2000 floods · Central-north, on the Letaba River, 50 km from Phalaborwa Gate · SANParks (South African National Parks)
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Budget
Inside the park
Park-run (SANParks)
A bushveld camp on the Letaba River whose name SANParks translates as Place of the Baobab Tree, 50 km from Phalaborwa Gate. It was completely rebuilt after the floods of 2000 and was closed again after the January 2026 floods; reopening was not confirmed by October 2026. There is a bird hide in camp, a pool at the boma, guided walks and game drives, but no shop, no restaurant and no plug points in the units (small items can be charged at reception). Cottages start at R1,778 a unit. Choose it for a self-catered river camp in the centre-north once it reopens. Owned and run by SANParks.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Letaba River setting
- Bird hide and pool
- Cottages from R1,778
- Only booked guests in camp
Cons
- Closed after the 2026 floods, reopening unconfirmed
- No plug points in units
- No shop or restaurant
What's here
- Swimming pool
- En-suite bathrooms
- Self-catering
Arranged from the lodge:
- Game drives
- Guided walks
- Birding
Read from Shimuwini Bushveld 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 Shimuwini Bushveld Camp
From $53 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. Cottage R1,778 (13 January to 18 March 2027; about $107 per unit, $53 each for two), R2,005 or R2,232; guest cottage R3,014, R3,342 or R3,721. Shimuwini was closed after the January 2026 floods; its current status is not confirmed. 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 Shimuwini Bushveld Camp
How do I book Shimuwini?
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.
Can I charge a phone at Shimuwini?
Only at reception: SANParks says there is limited availability to recharge small electrical items there, and the units have no plug points.
Is Shimuwini open?
SANParks listed it as closed on 31 January 2026 after the floods; no reopening was confirmed by October 2026. Check SANParks' notifications page.