Botswana & South Africa wildlife photography

There’s only one method of shooting game in Africa that we’re fully on board with, and that’s through a camera lens. South Africa, most notably the world famous Kruger National Park in the far northeast of the country, has significant populations of all the Big Five: lion, leopard, black rhino, elephant and Cape buffalo, while neighbouring Botswana is one of the continent’s last great wildernesses, and home to the world’s largest concentration of elephants – some 230,000 of the big grey beauties. So when it comes to wildlife photography vacations in Africa, these two countries would naturally be close to the top of most people’s lists.

But given the sheer numbers of animals to be found in Southern Africa, why join an organised small group tour? Well, perhaps more than anything else it boils down to the people you’ll be traveling with. First, these tours are led by experienced, professional photographers, there to help you maximise your potential with flexible tutoring, tailored to each individual’s interests and personal requirements, and with daily workshops covering subjects such as editing techniques.

Another reason to recommend Botswana is that due to its emphasis on low volume safaris, the animals here are far less used to humans. As a result, their behaviours are a lot more, well, natural. Botswana involves roughing it a little bit, as there is not the same range of accommodation as you will find in South Africa, and journeys can be long and dusty. But for wildlife photography, it must surely rank among the finest destinations in the world.

There may also be opportunities for portraits and other cultural photography as you travel between locations, pausing in townships or community NGOs.

Travel to Southern Africa in May. This is the start of the dry season which means the animals are easier to spot amid the vegetation, but crucially it also means that wildlife begins to gather in large numbers around waterholes. With a little luck you may witness a thrilling encounter between predator and prey and capture a terrific photo, which is certainly the only trophy we think anyone should be bringing home with them.