Mokala National Park

Mokala National Park is a relatively new addition to South Africa's national parks system, established in 2007 to provide sanctuary for rare and endangered species in the Northern Cape Province. Named after the Setswana word for camel thorn tree (Vachellia erioloba), the park spans 28,000 hectares of Kalahari thornveld, rocky ridges, and open grasslands along the Riet River. Mokala serves as an important breeding centre for disease-free buffalo, sable antelope, tsessebe, and both black and white rhino. The park is malaria-free and offers a tranquil, uncrowded alternative to South Africa's busier reserves, with excellent self-drive routes and comfortable rest camps managed by SANParks.