Last Updated on July 9, 2025 by Maggie McKneely
Here is the ultimate South Africa packing list to help be fully prepared for your trip there!
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South Africa Packing List
From jostling around in a jeep on dusty roads on an African safari to the cosmopolitan foodie capital of the world that is Cape Town to strolling along one of the many pristine white sand beaches, any South Africa itinerary will be filled with adventure. But preparing for that trip can also be filled with stress – how does one pack a bunch of brown and green safari clothes but also something to look cute while drinking wine in Stellenbosch?!
Packing for South Africa was certainly a challenge for me and my family – the Amazon delivery guy was at my house almost daily as I ordered yet another pair of safari pants to try. But fortunately for you, you can learn from my experience and use this South Africa packing list to help plan for your own trip.
Table of Contents
South Africa Packing List
Clothes and Shoes
Tops
- Lightweight long sleeve shirt
- If you’re going on a safari, the trick is to cover up your skin so the sun doesn’t absolutely fry you while staying somewhat cool. So a lightweight long sleeve shirt is the way to go – my favorite is this one from REI. It comes in several different colors and you can keep the sleeves long or roll them up. It’s also very lightweight and breathable. I have several pairs and have worn them throughout the Middle East in addition to South Africa.
- If you’re going on the kind of safari where you’re just sitting in a jeep all day, you DO NOT have to wear neutral colors. The animals will be spooked by the noise of the jeep long before they see you in your hot pink shirt. So the clothes on your African safari packing list can be whatever color you want! But, this does not apply if you’re going on a walking safari – in that case, stick to browns and greens.
- Basic t-shirts
- Spoiler alert – South Africa gets hot. Having a basic t-shirt or two in your suitcase will be useful.
- Blouses and cute tops
- When not on safari, I wore shorts with a cute top most of the time, so you’ll want to bring 2-3 of those.
My mom and I are both wearing our REI safari shirts (white and olive green)
Bottoms
- Shorts
- When I wasn’t wearing a dress, I was wearing shorts. I recommend a pair of breezy linen shorts. They worked perfectly for me both on safari days and wandering around Cape Town.
- Hiking pants
- While shorts are perfectly fine if your safari involves spending the day in a jeep, you may prefer wearing something longer with more coverage. These Columbia pants are my favorite travel pants that go with me on all of my trips.
Dresses
There are some really nice, chic places in South Africa, particularly in Cape Town and the nearby Winelands, so I recommend adding a dress or two onto your South Africa packing list. I wore a dress several times, for some more upscale meals and for visiting the wineries, as well as just wandering around Cape Town.
Kirstenbosch is the perfect location for wearing a dress!
Jackets
It can get quite chilly in the winter months, but you’ll want a jacket even if you’re there in the summer. While we had warm weather, there were a few times that I was really glad I had a jacket, like some early mornings and going to the top of Table Mountain. I recommend something light but still warm, like a cargo jacket or packable fleece.
I also recommend a light rain jacket, like this one. Our second safari day was quite chilly and wet, even though we were there during the warmer season!
Rain jacket, linen shorts, and teva sandals on a chilly safari day
Shoes
- All-purpose sneakers
- My absolute favorite travel sneakers are my Allbirds Tree Runners. They’re cute, washable, durable, and extremely comfortable, whether you’re walking the streets of Cape Town or exploring the peninsula. I’ve worn them all over the world and can’t recommend them highly enough. Unless you plan on doing intense hiking, these will get you everyone you want to go.
- Durable sandals
- Because we were there in early summer, I wore sandals most of the time, Specifically these Teva sandals. I love that they aren’t too bulky or heavy but are comfortable and stable enough to wear all day for all sorts of terrain.
- Cute sandals
- You’ll want a pair of cute sandals to go along with your cute dress(es).
Accessories
- Sunglasses
- South Africa is a very sunny place! Sunglasses are an absolute must for your South Africa packing list.
- Hat
- A hat is another great way to protect your head and your eyes from that tough African sun.
- Purse
- You don’t want to bring anything large and ostentatious that’ll make you a target for thieves. I love this small crossbody bag – it’s easy for me to keep an eye on and just large enough for the things I have to have throughout the day.
Toiletries
- Sunscreen
- This is a non-negotiable for any South Africa packing list, especially if you, like me, are the same color as a piece of paper.
- Bandaids
- I don’t go anywhere without bandaids. You never know when you’ll get a blister or your mom will trip on some stairs and need one.
- Medication
- Some of my staples are Nauzene for nausea, Umcka for cold symptoms, and Advil for general pain relief.
Electronics
- Power adapter
- South Africa annoyingly uses four different types of plugs (come on guys, can’t you just pick one?). So I recommend bringing one of those adapters that is suitable for multiple different countries and plug types, like this one.
- Portable battery pack
- I LOVE this battery pack. It comes with every cord you could ever need already attached, it comes in fun colors, and the battery lasts a long time.
- Anti-theft phone strap
- South Africa does have a petty theft problem. For peace of mind regarding your phone, especially if you’re going to have it out in cities and crowded places, I love this phone strap. It loops around your wrist so that if someone tries to take your phone out of your hand, it’ll be much harder for them to get away with it.
- Cord organizer
- Just something to keep all of your charging cords organized and in one place!
Travel Documents
- Passport
- Obviously don’t forget this!
- Travel insurance
- Travel insurance provides peace of mind, especially when visiting somewhere like South Africa.
Other Miscellaneous Things
- Binoculars
- I didn’t bring a pair, but there were certainly moments during our safari that I wish I had. Fortunately, some other guests in our jeep had some that we could all pass around, but it would have been nice to have had my own.
- Filtered water bottle
- While most places have ok drinking water, not everywhere does. So you might as well play it safe by including a water bottle with a filter on your South Africa packing list.
- Bug spray with DEET
- While South Africa has a very low malaria risk, it does still have plenty of mosquitoes. If you’re going on safari and want to protect yourself, definitely add some serious bug spray to your South Africa packing list.
- Compression socks
- South Africa is a looonnnggg flight away from home. Compression socks will make the trip a little more bearable.
- Cash: South African Rands
- Practically every business in South Africa is cashless, but most service workers expect cash tips. So if you don’t bring Rands (the currency of SA) with you, it can be very hard to get them in country. We went to a number of ATM’s in our quest to find cash and they were empty. It wasn’t until the end of our trip in Cape Town that we finally found a functioning ATM.
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Great list and it would work for many destinations. Even after all these years of travel I still overthink it. Thanks for the tips.
I especially appreciate the comments on the colors of your shirt for jeep tours, I wouldn’t have thought of that.
Thank you for sharing the helpful list. It would be great if you could recommend some brands for hiking pants.
My favorite brand for hiking pants is Columbia!
Love this list, could work for actually a lot of country where you can do a safari ^^ Thank you for sharing!
Yessss! I just came back from South Africa last month and wish I had your list. There’s so many diverse activities that it was really hard to sort out what to bring, especially going carry on only.
I followed these same rules for my trip to Vietnam including the Deet mosquito spray. I might also add rehydration packets as you might need a quick fix out in the hot sun.
I LOVE a good list! Great detailed packing list, you really thought of everything.
Awesome list! Bringing binoculars for the safari is a really great idea. Also, what filtered water bottle did you use? I’m currently looking for a good one!
I love this one from SimPure: https://amzn.to/4dhlp1U
So high on my bucket list! I’d like to climb Tabletop Mountain so I’d need to pack well for that.
This is a super detailed south africa packing list for women! I love that external battery as well! It works great!
You’ve compiled a comprehensive list of things to pack for South Africa. It would work for alot of other countries that offer safaris too.
Definitely pinning this as South Africa is on my bucket list.
Great information about packing for a South African safari, which is very similar to packing for a Tanzania safari. Jackets are often forgotten with the assumption that Africa is always very hot or perceived as a very hot continent.