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Send us a text Dr Leander Starr Jameson was the leader of what was nominally a mercenary raid into the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek of President Paul Kruger. Funded by Cecil john Rhodes when he was Premier of the Cape Colony, it was his play to annex the Republiek and take over the richest gold-field in the world for the British Empire. Rhodes had convinced himself that the sentiment in the gold-mining town of Johannesburg was such, that should an armed raid manage to get within the city boundaries, there would be a popular uprising in support of the overthrow of the rather inefficient and corrupt government. He totally misread the determination of Kruger to keep the ZAR independent of any British influence. Use our app to trace the story - a really cool day trip in Johannesburg Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a text A few days spent in the Kruger National Park - with a visit to Barberton thrown in. Barberton has a few hidden treasures that are definitely worth exploring - and we find two really cool spots on the routes to and from Barberton.  Kaapschehoop is a spot worth more investigating - and we uncover two really interesting characters buried in Carolina - an ex State President (and bit of a hooligan) - and a South African who was instrumental in the Geneva Convention! You never know who or what you will find! Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a text A 5 night tour to the Central Region of the Kruger National Park. A repeat client from 16 years ago decided to return and show the Kruger Park to his family. Thank you for trusting me again with your holiday. This is a typical itinerary for a great Kruger Park experience.  Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a text December 16th is an important day in South Africa. It is a public holiday - it was first "Dingaan's Day", then it was "Day of the Vow", and now it is "Day of Reconciliation". We start at the Voortrekker Monument - a "must visit" on any South African itinerary - and start the story of why December 16th is such an important day. Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a text The events of 6th February 1838 culminated in an iconic and pivotal moment in South African history. The murder of Piet Retief and his small group of Voortrekkers by Dingaan culminated in an epic showdown on the banks of the Ncome River in Zululand.  The effects of this are still felt today. Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a text An emotive issue - Hunting and Trophy Hunting. As you drive through South Africa - particularly in Northern KZN, Mpumalanga, North West, Limpopo, and now the Eastern Cape as well - you pass kilometres of high electrified fencing. These are what we call "Game Farms" - aimed at tourism and hunting. We explore the topic and the importance of this industry to South Africa. Some resources: https://africageographic.com/stories/botswana-elephant-hunting-under-scientific-review/?utm_source=Africa+Geographic&utm_campaign=426952b838-AGNewsletter_November_04_2025_resend&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_32007fbc2b-426952b838-292991874&mc_cid=426952b838&mc_eid=d520cdf556 https://news.nwu.ac.za/r15456-billion-private-wildlife-hunting-means-big-bucks https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/206214/how-much-you-pay-to-go-trophy-hunting-in-south-africa/ Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a text Rhino poaching had reached epidemic levels. The Square-lipped Rhinoceros (White Rhino) - once a huge conservation success story and taken off the "Endangered List" - is now again under very serious threat. We discuss a few issues around the poaching, markets, and economics fuelling the destruction of our wildlife heritage. Some links: https://www.savetherhino.org/africa/south-africa/rhino-poaching-persists-in-south-africa-as-criminals-shift-their-focus/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yega3ZRRrqk Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a text Some tips for your visit to the Kruger National Park.  How to get there, how to get into the park, where to stay, what type of accommodation is available, the different types of camps. Kruger is a huge park - 19,623 sq km. And another 1,800 sq km of private reserve. 12 main camps, 5 bush veld camps, 2 bush lodges, 4 satellite camps. A plethora of luxury private lodges - it just depends on your budget - and what experience do you want? We give some insight to help you make a choice.  Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a text In this podcast we answer some questions from a listener in Australia - how to arrive in SA, how to get to Kruger, car hire, some advice on camps and distances, where to spend the most time....... We help to plan a 10 to 14 day Kruger itinerary. Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a text We chat about what you need to make for an unforgettable visit to the Kruger National Park.  Basic stuff to take with you: some essentials in the suitcase, some good tips for what to take in the car, how to have a comfortable stay.  And most essentially - how to plan for and have good days driving in the park! Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a text Most people go to the Kruger National Park for "Game Drives" - this is obviously the main aim of the visit - but there are variations available - and there a definitely different ways to do it! There are also a variety of "other activities" available in the park - so press the "reset" button, slow down, relax - and really get to experience the Kruger National Park - there is a lot more to it than just chasing around on the roads! Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a text The Kruger National Park is a wonderful and special destination. It is a "World Class" wildlife park - but there are a few basic rules and regulations that need to be followed in order to have a great visit.  We give a few tips on how to enjoy the park without getting into trouble, some basic etiquette on the road, and a short rundown on some "Park Manners". Have great stay!  Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a text During peak season the park can seem very crowded - and some "Road Rage" and "Sighting Fighting" can occur. We explore some of the reasons for this, some takes (from our perspective) on the "crowding" - and how to deal with it. Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a text Fire is a conservation tool used for the management of grazing area and plant communities.  Visitors to the Kruger Park - especially in the winter months, and in early spring -  often drive through burned areas - it's dusty, smokey, and smelly - and can sometimes be unpleasant. Controlled burning is however a vital management tool - and we hope that this episode helps you understand some of the science behind it. Here is the link as mentioned in the podcast https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/csp2.12658 Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a text The Greater Kruger National Park currently has an elephant population of over 31,000 animals. This is just not sustainable. There are no easy or "warm & fuzzy" answers to this. This podcast lays out a bit of the history of the "elephant management" issues, where it comes from, some of the main players in the ongoing debate - and the final question: How do we fix it? ====================================== Here are some selected references: Barnes, R. F. W., Craig, G. C. & Dublin, H. T. (2010). The African Elephant: Status, Ecology and Management. Cambridge University Press. Cumming, D. H. M. (1997). “Elephants, woodlands and biodiversity in southern Africa.” South African Journal of Science, 93(5): 231–236. Ferreira, S. M. et al. (2023). “Spatial trends in elephant populations in Kruger National Park.” Koedoe, 65(1): a1714. Helm, C. & O’Connor, T. G. (2012). “Woody vegetation structure and composition under different elephant impacts in Kruger National Park.” African Journal of Ecology, 50(4): 404–413. O’Connor, T. G., Goodman, P. S., & Clegg, B. (2007). “A functional hypothesis of the threat of local extirpation of woody plants by elephants in Africa.” Biological Conservation, 136(3): 329–345. Owen-Smith, N. & Kerley, G. I. H. (2020). “Elephants and fire in savanna ecosystems.” Ecological Applications, 30(3): e02017. SANParks Research Report 2023–24. South African National Parks Research and Scientific Services Directorate, Pretoria. Conservation Action Trust (2023). “Elephant carrying capacity is an antiquated concept.” Support the show The Road Trip SA app is available for download. Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris