Celebrating the Kruger National Park Centenary

On the 31st of May, South Africa’s flagship park officially turned 100 years old, and if you’ve ever dreamed of a Big Five safari, there has never been a better time to experience it for yourself.

At Gap Tours, we believe the mighty Kruger isn’t just a bucket-list destination (although it absolutely deserves a spot on your travel Pinterest board), but a living, breathing piece of South African heritage, and its centenary is the perfect reason to finally book that safari you’ve been putting off.

A Nation’s Story

The Kruger’s centenary is being celebrated as a conservation anniversary, and as a proud symbol of South Africa’s natural heritage and a powerful statement to the world: this is a country that protects what makes it extraordinary. 

In an era where nations are often judged by how well they safeguard their treasures, the Kruger is proof that South Africa takes that responsibility seriously, through a century of wildlife protection, pioneering research, and world-class tourism.

From Two Reserves to One Icon

Kruger’s story didn’t begin in 1926. 

In 1898, the old South African Republic proclaimed the Sabie Game Reserve between the Sabie and Crocodile rivers, at a time when wildlife populations were under serious threat from hunting. That early act of protection would eventually grow into the park millions now visit every year.

In 1902, a man named James Stevenson-Hamilton took on the role that would define his life: first warden of the reserve. 

Known today as the “Father of Kruger,” he spent decades fighting poaching and championing the bold idea of a vast, protected wilderness — a vision that shaped conservation across South Africa.

Then came the defining moment. On 31 May 1926, the National Parks Act merged the Sabie and Shingwedzi Game Reserves into one entity: the Kruger National Park. It was South Africa’s first official national park, and it launched a new era of organised conservation across the continent.

The public got their first chance to visit in 1927, paying a small entry fee. Only a handful of cars made the trip that year, but by 1935, an impressive 26 000 vehicles had passed through the gates. 

The Kruger had officially captured the world’s imagination.

Nearly Two Million Hectares of Wild Africa

Fast forward to today, and the Kruger is one of the largest and most biodiverse protected areas on the continent. 

Covering approximately 19 485 square kilometres, nearly 2 million hectares, across Limpopo and Mpumalanga, the park stretches an incredible 360 kilometres from north to south. 

Close to a million visitors explore its landscapes every year, tracking lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, and leopard across terrain that has barely changed in a century.

A major turning point came in 2002, when the Kruger became the cornerstone of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, linking protected land across South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe into one of Africa’s most ambitious cross-border conservation projects. 

Wildlife, quite literally, now roams free across national boundaries.

A World-Class Wild Wonder

The Kruger’s centenary year has come with some serious international recognition.

Renowned travel publications, including Lonely Planet and Frommer’s Travel Guides, have ranked the park among the world’s premier wildlife destinations in 2026. 

It’s a well-earned honour, reflecting not just the park’s extraordinary biodiversity, but the generations of rangers, scientists, conservationists, and local communities who have kept its story alive.

Why Now Is the Time to Experience the Kruger

One hundred years after its proclamation, the Kruger is living proof of what visionary conservation can achieve, a place where ecosystems endure, wildlife thrives, and every visitor leaves with a story of their own. 

Celebrating a centenary like this in person, surrounded by the very landscapes that inspired a century of protection, is an experience unlike any other.

Whether it’s your first safari or your fifth, there’s something special about heading out on a Kruger safari, knowing you’re part of a story that started long before you and will continue long after.

Get in touch with the Gap Tours team to plan your centenary safari and experience South Africa’s greatest conservation success story for yourself.