More than 30 million tourists visit Africa every year. Over half of the international arrivals are for business. They may also partake in tourist activities, while 15% travel for pure tourism and 30% visit friends and family.
Tourists select the continent to view wildlife and enjoy sunny skies. Africa is the world’s number one destination for safaris, and its safaris range from exotic to very simple.
The tourism industry is one of the most essential parts of the continent: it provided 12.8 million people with jobs, directly and indirectly, in 2011. Tourism in 2012 contributed over US$36 billion or 2.8% of the continent’s GDP.
The continent’s vast and diverse nature makes deciding on the best region for a safari is complex and challenging. But the continent’s east, central, and southern parts are by far the preferred choices. These areas generally have well-developed or rapidly developing tourism sectors. Wildlife is abundant, and visa requirements are low to no. Tourists to these regions mostly come from countries like France, the UK, the USA, Germany, and Portugal.
Below is a quick guide to some of the safari hot spots on the African continent.
East Africa
East African countries are strongly reliant on the tourism industry for income. Substantial improvements in marketing and cooperation between these nations will help ensure the success of this vital sector.
Standardized criteria for hotels, restaurants, and other services across these countries will make it easier for tourists to find suitable services. These countries possess various natural and cultural resources that make tourism possible.
The Serengeti wildebeest migration is why Kenya and Tanzania have become popular safari destinations. This migration sees millions of wildebeest and other animal species move between Tanzania and Kenya. Kenya’s Masai Mara and Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park are the best places to view this migration.
While in the area, remember to visit Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, which is Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro National Park.
Central Africa
Civil wars and terrorist groups have made it dangerous to travel to some countries in this region. However, many tourists still take their chances, as Central Africa has immense natural beauty.
The Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda are great places to view the endangered mountain gorillas. The best places to view them include the Virunga National Park in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in southwest Uganda, and Volcanoes National Park in northwest Rwanda.
Various factors have threatened the gorilla population, including poaching, habitat loss, disease, war and unrest, and poverty. Today, however, due to conservation efforts, the population of mountain gorillas is showing steady growth. The fact that many tourists want to get up close to these animals also drives conservation efforts since with tourism comes economic improvement.
If you’d prefer to experience Africa’s best on-foot chimpanzee encounters, visit Kibale Forest in Uganda.
Southern Africa
South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi have diverse wildlife. This is because of the variety of biomes in the region.
Chobe National Park is home to the world’s largest concentration of elephants—70,000—and lies between the Chobe River and the Okavango Delta in the northeastern parts of Botswana. Also in Botswana, the Moremi Game Reserve, in the iconic Okavango Delta, is the first reserve in Africa to be established by residents.
The Etosha National Park in the northern arid region of Namibia offers excellent chances of spotting endangered black rhinoceros and flamingos in the salt pans.
The Kruger National Park in South Africa is unique because of its diversity of animals and advanced environmental management techniques and policies.
iSimangaliso Wetland Park was the first site in South Africa to be awarded World Heritage status. It contains most of South Africa’s remaining swamp forests. Africa’s most extensive estuarine system is a partially enclosed body of water where fresh water from rivers and streams mixes with salt water from the ocean. The park borders Kosi Bay and St Lucia Lake, which is the only place in the world where sharks, hippopotamuses, and crocodiles can be found in the same body of water.
Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape province is the only park where you can find the Big 7: the African elephant, Cape buffalo, African lion, African leopard, African rhino, whales, and Great White sharks.
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park consists of primarily unspoiled wilderness north of South Africa, crossing into Botswana. This park is located mainly in a desert area. It is famous for animal species such as the Kalahari black-maned lions and the Gemsbok or Oryx.
