Kenya

Do South Africans need a visa for Kenya?

In principle no — and this changed recently in your favour. Since 2025, Kenya exempts African Union passport holders, including South Africans, from both the visa and the eTA (electronic travel authorisation) for stays of up to 90 days. When it applies, you simply arrive and are admitted — no fee, no online form, no $30-odd eTA that other nationalities still pay.

The catch: this is new enough, and has rolled out unevenly enough, that you should confirm on the official portal (etakenya.go.ke) close to your travel date. If an eTA is still being asked of South Africans when you go, it’s a quick, cheap online form — not a full visa. Either way, bring a passport valid for six-plus months and proof of onward travel. (The exemption is for tourism and short visits; working there needs the right permit.)

What it costs (in rand)

Day-to-day, Kenya runs roughly R500–800 a day for comfortable midrange travel — similar to home, sometimes a touch more in tourist areas. But the real budget question in Kenya is safari, which sits in its own category. National park entry fees, a vehicle and a guide, and lodge or tented-camp rates can dwarf your daily costs, so plan safari days as deliberate splurges rather than everyday spending. Self-driving and staying in towns near the parks keeps it down; fly-in luxury camps send it sky-high. The coast (Diani, Watamu) is more relaxed on the wallet.

When to go

For wildlife, the dry seasons — roughly January–February and June–October — are best, when animals gather at water and the bush is thinner. The famous Maasai Mara river crossings of the Great Migration typically fall around July to October. The “long rains” (around March–May) bring lush scenery, fewer crowds and lower prices, but some camps close and roads get tricky. The coast is warm year-round.

Getting around

Nairobi is the hub. Cheap domestic flights link it to the Mara, coast and other parks — worth it to skip long drives. On the ground, safari is almost always done by 4x4 with a guide, either as part of a package or self-driven. In Nairobi, ride-hailing via Bolt or Uber is easy. The modern SGR train between Nairobi and Mombasa is a comfortable, scenic alternative to flying to the coast. Make sure your travel insurance covers safari activities and any light-aircraft hops.

What to actually do

The Maasai Mara is the headline — big cats, plains and, in season, the Migration. Amboseli pairs elephants with Kilimanjaro views across the border. Add Lake Nakuru for flamingos and rhino, or Tsavo for raw, less-crowded wilderness. Then trade the bush for the Swahili coast: Diani’s white beaches, or the old-town lanes and dhows of Lamu and Mombasa. Even a few days in Nairobi rewards you, with the elephant orphanage and Nairobi National Park on the city’s doorstep.

Honest take

Kenya is one of the great wildlife trips on earth, and the Africa eTA-exemption makes entry genuinely easy for South Africans when it applies — just confirm your status on the official portal before you fly, since it’s rolled out unevenly. Then budget honestly: the safari portion is where trips blow out, so decide upfront how many big park days you want. Compare flights early (search routes here) and land with a data eSIM so you’re connected from the airport.