South Africa By The Golf Planet Holidays Team · Golf-travel specialists since 1981 · Updated 12 June 2026 There is a moment on every South African trip when the scorecard stops mattering: the engine cuts out on an evening game drive and a lion walks past close enough to hear it breathe. No other golf […]
Why golf and safari holidays in South Africa belong in one trip
Most trips make you choose between the golf and the game drives. South Africa does both in a single itinerary, with real packages from
No jet lag. South Africa runs just ahead of London time, so you step off the overnight flight and can tee off the same day. The golf is championship standard, the pound stretches a long way at the bar, and the safari is the genuine article, free-roaming animals on big ground rather than a fenced add-on.
Start with the numbers. See the
Gondwana Game Reserve, the centrepiece of a golf safari in South Africa
The safari half is anchored by Gondwana Game Reserve, a five-star reserve in the Cape fynbos where the Big Five roam free, from
The rhythm suits golfers. Game drives run at dawn and dusk, the hours you would otherwise spend on a practice green, and the middle of the day is yours for the pool or a long lunch. Lions by dusk. Coffee on the bonnet at sunrise with a kudu watching you back.
We usually build Gondwana in at the end of the route, two or three nights after the golf, so the trip finishes on game drives rather than packing. See the
Where our specialists would stay in South Africa
Cape Town golf and the Winelands
Cape Town is where the golf earns its billing. Steenberg sits among the Constantia vines, Royal Cape is the grand old name of the city, and the Winelands courses around Stellenbosch and Somerset West play beneath serious mountains. The golf delivers.
For the full Cape Town stay, The Bay Hotel, Camps Bay Cape Town is five star from
Leave one afternoon free for Stellenbosch between rounds. A glass of Chenin Blanc under the oaks goes a long way towards explaining why golfers keep coming back. See the
The hosted Western Cape Spring Tour, the easy way in
If you would rather not plan any of it, the Western Cape Spring Tour runs from 28 February to 9 March 2027, hosted in person by Sue from the GPH team, with a maximum of 12 guests. It is
You stay four nights at Silver Forest in Somerset West, then five at The Vineyard in Cape Town. Welcome and farewell dinners, Winelands tastings and all transfers are included, with ATOL and PTS protection, and flights are quoted separately. Sue handles everything.
Day 10 is departure or extend, and a safari extension is exactly what we build, usually two or three nights at Gondwana. Travelling alone? You have your own room at a single-occupancy rate confirmed up front, so the full figure is in writing before you commit; it does cost more than the sharing rate, which is the one honest catch. There is more in our guide to solo golf holidays in South Africa.
Golf safari South Africa prices compared
Every price below is a real, bookable package per person sharing, listed cheapest first. The shape is deliberate: a value base in Durban, mid-priced coastal stops, and five-star finishes near the safari country.
| Venue | From (pp) | Nights/rounds | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Benjamin Hotel, Durban | 3 nights, 2 rounds | Warm-water Durban golf at the lowest entry price | |
| Cape St Francis Resort | 3 nights, 2 rounds | Laid-back Eastern Cape beach village | |
| Harbour House Hotel, Hermanus | 3 nights, 2 rounds | On the harbour in Hermanus, whale country | |
| Beverly Hills, Umhlanga | 3 nights, 2 rounds | Five-star Umhlanga beachfront near Durban | |
| African Oceans Manor, Mossel Bay | 3 nights, 2 rounds | Five-star Garden Route base within reach of Gondwana | |
| Thirty On Grace, Cape Town | 3 nights, 2 rounds | Guesthouse comfort with Cape Town golf |
Pick your rung. Pair any of them with Gondwana for the safari leg, or use African Oceans Manor, Mossel Bay as the natural staging post on the way there.
When to go on a South Africa golf tour
February is summer. The Cape golf season is at full stretch exactly when British courses are shut or playing off mats, which is the whole argument for going then. The hosted tour dates, 28 February to 9 March, sit squarely in that window, and the same weeks work just as well for a tailor-made route.
On routing, Gondwana sits a few hours east of Cape Town, so we build it as the final leg of the itinerary rather than a day trip from the city. The drive itself runs through the Overberg wheatlands and is part of the holiday, with a coffee stop in a small dorp if you want one.
Every trip is built by one named specialist who replies personally, the way we have arranged golf travel since 1981, and travellers rate us 4.9 from 98 Google reviews. Tell us your dates and who is coming, and we will put the fairways and the lions in the right order. See the
Our specialists’ favourite stays in South Africa
What our golfers say
4.997 reviews
just returned from great golf trip to South Africa thanks Nigel highly recommend.
We have just returned from a fantastic 31/2 week holiday in South Africa organised by Golf Plant Holidays. Nigel was amazing sorting the itinerary for our group of 8 to include all the …
My husband Philip and I had a wonderful golf trip to South Africa in March with Golf Planet holidays. It was our first time to South Africa and it didn't disappoint us. …
Frequently asked questions
Can you combine golf and a safari in one South Africa trip?
Yes, and South Africa is the one destination where the distances make it straightforward. Play Cape Town and the Winelands, then finish with two or three nights at a Big Five reserve such as Gondwana. The hosted Western Cape Spring Tour ends with a departure-or-extend day built for exactly this.
How much does a golf safari in South Africa cost?
Golf packages start at
When is the best time for a South Africa golf tour?
British winter, Cape summer. February and March give long, dry days in the Western Cape while most UK courses are closed or on temporary greens, and the small time difference from London means no jet lag on arrival.
Are flights included in golf and safari holiday prices?
No. Every price shown is a ground package per person sharing. Flights are arranged as an ATOL-protected add-on and quoted separately, so you can fly from your preferred airport or use airline points if you have them.
Can solo golfers join the hosted Western Cape tour?
Yes. Solo travellers have their own room at a single-occupancy rate confirmed up front, so the full cost is clear before you commit, and the 12-guest format makes it easy to fall in with the group from the welcome dinner onwards.
Come and play with us
Wherever you're travelling from, you're welcome on a Golf Planet hosted tour — a small group, a host with you from the first tee to the last, and every round, transfer and dinner taken care of. You just bring the clubs.
