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Accessible South Africa: a travel guide

Table Mountain seen from the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

South Africa is one of the easiest places in Africa to travel with a disability. Cape Town has step-free promenades, a cableway with a universal access walkway on the summit and a public bus network designed for universal access. Kruger National Park has tarred main roads and rest camp units adapted for wheelchair users. This guide covers what works well, what doesn’t, and how to plan.

Updated October 2026. Facilities and entry rules change, so we reconfirm every detail for your dates before you book.

In this guide

  1. Quick facts
  2. Visas and entry
  3. Getting there
  4. Getting around
  5. Where to stay
  6. Accessible Cape Town
  7. Accessible Kruger
  8. When to go
  9. Health, safety and practical tips
  10. Our South Africa experiences and tailor-made trips
  11. Questions travellers ask
  12. Sources

Quick facts

Currency South African rand (ZAR). Cards are widely accepted in cities.
Time South African Standard Time (GMT+2), one hour behind Kenya. No daylight saving.
Plugs Type M (large three round pins) and Type N, plus two-pin Type C; 230 volts. Bring an adaptor for chargers and power wheelchair batteries.
Driving On the left.
Emergency numbers 112 from a mobile phone; 10111 for police; 10177 for an ambulance.
Main airports Johannesburg (O. R. Tambo), Cape Town International and Durban (King Shaka), plus Skukuza and Kruger Mpumalanga for Kruger.

Visas and entry

Entry rules change, so we confirm the current requirements for your passport when we send your itinerary.

Getting there

Johannesburg is South Africa’s main hub, with direct flights from Nairobi in about four hours and onward connections to Cape Town, Durban and the Kruger airports. Ask for wheelchair assistance when you book your flight; the airline arranges it with the airport. Tell the airline the make, weight and battery type of a power wheelchair at the time of booking, and bring the battery documents.

Accessible Travel Kenya can arrange meet-and-assist on arrival and a step-free vehicle at the kerb.

Getting around

Where to stay

Cape Town and Johannesburg have many hotels with accessible rooms, some with roll-in showers. In Kruger, several SANParks rest camps have bungalows or safari tents adapted for wheelchair users. “Accessible” means different things to different hotels, so we ask for photos and measurements of the door widths, bed height, bathroom and shower before we book, and share them with you.

See our accessible accommodation or ask us to find a room that fits your needs.

Accessible Cape Town

Table Mountain

The cableway is the easiest way up. Staff help at the ticket office and lifts, wheelchairs can be borrowed subject to availability, and a universal access walkway opened on the summit in April 2026. Not every part of the summit is accessible, and the cableway closes in high wind, so keep the day flexible. See the Table Mountain experience.

V&A Waterfront

Entrances are wheelchair friendly, with ramps beside steps, accessible parking and accessible toilets. A good first afternoon after a flight.

Boulders Beach and Cape Point

Boardwalks with ramps and swing gates lead to the penguin colony at Boulders, with three accessible toilets and a free wheelchair to borrow. At Cape Point, the Flying Dutchman funicular has a gate for wheelchair users; the old lighthouse at the top has steps. See the peninsula day trip.

Kirstenbosch and the Constantia winelands

Kirstenbosch’s entrances, restaurants and shops are accessible, and the Main Lawn, Conservatory and parts of the Fragrance and Sculpture Gardens are step-free; the upper slopes are steep. At Groot Constantia, there is accessible parking at Simon’s Restaurant and accessible toilets and tasting at the Cloete Cellar. See the garden and wine day.

Robben Island

Partly accessible. Wheelchair users travel on the open rear deck of the ferry, the island bus has a lift, and there is an accessible toilet on the island. Inside the prison, one building has a step at the door and another a steep ramp. We confirm current access with the museum before booking. See the heritage day.

Accessible Kruger

Kruger’s main roads are tarred and most game viewing is done from a vehicle, which suits many wheelchair users. Several rest camps, including Skukuza and Lower Sabie, have adapted units, and SANParks lists accessible boardwalks, hides, museums and picnic sites, as well as accessible communal toilets and showers at campsites. Ramped bird hides include Ntandanyathi near Lower Sabie.

SANParks introduced activity vehicles with a lift in 2018, but they are not available at every camp. Where needed, we arrange a private adapted vehicle. Guided bush walks are not suitable for people with mobility difficulties. See the Kruger safari.

When to go

Health, safety and practical tips

Our South Africa experiences and tailor-made trips

Every experience is a starting point that we tailor to you. Prices are on request, with a written, tailored quote within 24 hours.

Tailor-made South Africa trips

You can also combine South Africa with a Kenya safari or Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Questions travellers ask

Is South Africa wheelchair friendly?

More than most destinations in Africa. Cape Town’s main sights have step-free routes and accessible toilets, and Kruger’s rest camps have adapted units. Some places are only partly accessible, such as parts of Table Mountain’s summit and Robben Island’s prison, so we check each stop against your needs.

Can I go on safari in Kruger as a wheelchair user?

Yes, with planning. Game viewing is from a vehicle on tarred main roads. We book an adapted rest camp unit and, where SANParks’ lift-equipped vehicles aren’t available, a private adapted vehicle. Bush walks are not suitable.

Do Kenyans need a visa for South Africa?

No. Kenyan ordinary passport holders can visit visa-free for up to 90 days a year. Bring a yellow fever certificate if you are travelling from Kenya.

Can you combine South Africa with Kenya?

Yes. Johannesburg and Nairobi are about four hours apart by air, so a Cape Town or Kruger stay pairs easily with a Kenya safari or a beach stay.

Do you provide equipment and carers?

Yes. We arrange wheelchairs, shower chairs and other equipment, carers and sign language interpreters on request, through vetted partners.

Plan your South Africa trip

Send your dates and who is travelling, and the team replies within 24 hours with a tailored, written proposal.

Start planningor talk to an expert on WhatsApp

Sources

Top photo: Jim.henderson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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