Text by Karen Eull. Images courtesy of Karen Eull and Lauren Livingston.

I don't need to know the word for “lion” in any of South Africa’s 12 official languages to know there’s one nearby. As soon as our game tracker, Chuchu, gets a radio call and hits the gas, we’re sure she’s headed toward something exciting.

On safari at Pilanesberg National Park, you see many animals — including so many elephants, giraffes and zebras that I stopped counting—but lions are the main event. So, when Chuchu speeds up, we have cameras and binoculars at the ready. She deftly navigates our large open-sided truck over the rough dirt roads (as we bounce around in the back like monkeys) and then rounds a bend just in time for us to see a lioness saunter across the road ahead. Unlike us, she’s in no hurry at all.

Chuchu is pleased that we made it here ahead of any other trucks. This sighting is just for us. “We are the lucky ones this morning,” she says.

“Luck” is a word that comes up many times on this trip in so many ways. I cherish every sighting of these rare animals (some of which are getting rarer by the day) in the wild. But the subject of luck, or rather privilege, also comes to mind in some sombre moments. This journey will take me from the lows of Apartheid’s legacy to the great heights of beauty stretching before me as I travel from Cape Town to Pilanesberg Park.

Exploring Cape Town

If I hadn’t been so excited to get to Pilanesberg National Park, I could have stayed in Cape Town, where I landed, for a week or more. It’s easy to get swept up in the city’s current culture boom — especially while staying in the vibrant V&A Waterfront district, packed with posh hotels, boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops. Taking in the breathtaking city views from atop Table Mountain or sipping cocktails at a beach bar in Camp’s Bay are fun, easygoing ways to spend an afternoon.

However, I also wanted time to explore the city’s diverse but difficult history. There’s a bronze statue of Nelson Mandela on the City Hall balcony where he made his first public speech after being released from prison, in 1990 —a speech famous for helping usher the country into the post-Apartheid era. Daily boat trips take visitors to Robben Island to tour the jail (now a museum) where Mandela spent 18 of the 27 years he was imprisoned. And the vividly hued houses in the Muslim neighbourhood of Bo-Kaap offer more than just a great photo op—these historic 18th-century dwellings, originally rental units for slaves, were once all kept whitewashed. After 1994, when residents were finally permitted (and could eventually afford) to buy homes, it’s said property owners painted them in riotous colours to celebrate their freedom.

The healing power of creativity shines bright in Cape Town, especially at the Zeitz MOCAA, the world’s largest museum dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. Find wonderful one-of-a-kind souvenirs at the many craft markets in town, including The Old Biscuit Mill, a restored factory space where local designers sell handcrafted clothing and wares amidst bustling eateries and bars.

No South African expedition is complete without a trip (in my case, by tour bus) around the famous Cape of Good Hope on the continent’s southern tip—a coastal drive that takes you past beautiful beach towns and wineries. Stop at Boulders Beach to watch a protected colony of African penguins waddling on the sand. (As if this country isn’t teeming with enough cool wildlife, why not throw in some penguin-spotting to ensure your trip is truly that of a lifetime?)

Tracking Wildlife at Pilanesberg National Park

It’s a short flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg and a two-and-a-half-hour drive to the Bakubung Bush Lodge. This small resort is within the gates of Pilanesberg National Park’s game reserve of over 55,000 hectares (136,900 acres)—the fourth-largest game park in South Africa and home to more than 7,000 animals, including the Big Five: lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and Cape buffalo, one of four buffalo subspecies indigenous to Africa.

Safari days start achingly early. The first game drive of the day has you out in the park, in the cooler hours, when the predators are most active. A second daily drive departs in the late afternoon. (I spend the hot midday hours between game drives, lounging by the resort’s pool as vervet monkeys and mongooses dart between the deck chairs.)

Every drive is different—and the trackers always start off by managing expectations. They can’t promise any sightings, they warn, and yet never did they disappoint. It’s a point of pride for them to know all the best spots and they share prime sightings with their colleagues over the radio—rarely in English, and sometimes in code, partly because they don’t want passengers to get their hopes up, but sometimes to help protect the animals. One tracker tells me he never calls out rhinos over the radio because these beasts are particularly vulnerable to poachers who could be listening in.

Trackers, rangers and park staff have helped safeguard local wildlife since the area became a reserve in 1979. Prior to that, the populations of game animals in the area had dwindled due to commercial farming. As part of the initial relocation program, 6,000 game animals were introduced to the park—a massive conservation effort that requires consistent care. For instance, all the park’s mature male rhinos undergo surgery every few years to remove their horns (an effort to deter poachers, which, unfortunately, doesn’t always work). At a watering hole, one of our trackers, Peter, points out two gigantic hippos, George and Twiggy, that he helped care for as babies before they were released into the park.

On our second last day, it’s our tracker, Tao, who takes us on the most memorable drive of the trip. The day starts off well—we see lions, elephants, rhinos and even the elusive buffalo almost right out of the gate. Tao gets a determined look in his eye. “Let’s see if we can make this a Big Five drive,” he says, referring to the rare occurrence when you see all the big-game species in a single outing.

We’ll have to rush past the many roadside zebras, impalas and giraffes to try, he warns, and we cheer him on. This time, when the call comes in, I hear his response in English, clear as day: “I’m coming! I’m coming!”

We pull in beside the truck that called in the sighting. Its passengers are pointing at a rocky ledge that borders the road, and we crane our necks to figure out what’s up there. And then I spot it—the rare sighting you hardly dare hope for. Climbing down from the rocks without a glance in our direction, a leopard. “Lucky” doesn’t even begin to describe this. I feel honoured.

This painstakingly restored park, now teeming with a diversity of wildlife, showcases what I’ll remember most about South Africa—its vast capacity for resilience and hope.

Embark on an African Adventure with WestWorld Tours

Experience the diverse cultures of four countries in southern Africa with WestWorld Tours in 2025. This action-packed adventure includes city highlights in Cape Town and Johannesburg and a chance to spot the Big Five on safari at South Africa’s largest reserve, Kruger National Park. You will also cruise the Zambezi River in Zambia and, in Zimbabwe, visit Victoria Falls, one of the world’s seven wonders. Enjoy more game drives in Kasane, Botswana — Chobe National Park is home to the largest concentration of elephants in Africa.

A CAA Travel Consultant can help you book your dream trip to Africa. Visit caasco.com/travel to start planning for a safari.