Mount Kilimanjaro may be the ultimate quest. But the undisputed champ of African hiking is that big country at the bottom end of the continent – South Africa.
One of the country’s greatest strengths is sheer volume. The global hiking app AllTrails lists more than 3,700 trekking trails and routes in South Africa compared to other top African trekking destinations: Kenya (20 trails), Tanzania (21), Namibia (33) and Morocco (18).
South Africa also offers incredible variety when it comes to terrain and climate: trails that range from coastal, mountain and desert to the country’s unique fynbos landscapes, which offer Mediterranean-like vegetation with extremely high biodiversity.
Trails in South Africa tend to be well-maintained and well-marked. Many of them boast overnight hiker huts. While it’s certainly possible to hire a guide, most of them are DIY – easy to hike on your own with equipment that can be rented or purchased at outdoor outfitters in Cape Town, Johannesburg and other big cities.
Last but not least is the fauna factor. While animals exist on every South Africa trail, those that pose the biggest threat to humans on foot (lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard) are largely confined to places where you should never hike without a guide — namely game reserves and wildlife-oriented national parks.
