Senior citizens, at Wild Card partner parks and reserves it’s great to be grey! With age comes wisdom, but also great discounts. SANParks and CapeNature offer up to 40% discount on selected accommodation for South African nature lovers 60 years and older.
What better way to celebrate life than appreciating nature’s wonders in the wilderness? Choose from a variety of destinations and activities to make the most of your time as pensioner. To spare you the research, Wild also made a list of top evergreen activities ideal for travellers older than 60.
SANParks
South African pensioners can choose between a variety of accommodation types from 18 national parks and game drives at 20 rest camps throughout South Africa. Online reservations do not qualify for the senior citizen discount – call +27 (0)12 428 9111 to make your booking.
Accommodation: Savings vary between 20% and 40% and are specific to certain times, parks, camps and accommodation types. Download a document with all the specifics below. Pensioner’s discounts are available during these periods: 15 January to 16 March, 3 May to 14 June, 20 August to 20 September, and 10 October to 30 November. Note that Fridays, Saturdays and long weekends are excluded.
Game drives: Senior citizens will save 40% on selected guided game drives from 1 January to 16 March, 3 May to 14 June, 20 August to 20 September, and 10 October to 30 November (Fridays, Saturdays and long weekends excluded).
Click here to download a comprehensive list of all accommodation types, discounted rates and other relevant information.
CapeNature
A senior citizen discount of 30% applies on all self-catering accommodation and camping facilities from Monday to Sunday throughout the year (excluding the Easter school holidays, Easter weekend and the December/January school holidays). Online reservations do not apply and the offer is only available to South African residents. Call CapeNature central reservations on +27 (0)21 483 0190 to book your stay.
Click here to download the terms and conditions or visit the CapeNature website.
Ezemvelo
South African residents 60 years and older qualify for 20% discount on accommodation at Ezemvelo KZN Wildife resorts during low season. The discounted rate excludes high season, wilderness trails, overnight hiking, bush camps and bush lodges.
Download the terms and conditions for more information.
Top golden oldie adventures
#1: On top of Table Mountain
Experiencing the Mother City from the top of Table Mountain never gets old! With the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, the route up and down is comfortable, exhilarating and packed with scenery. On Fridays, South African senior citizens (make sure you have your ID) pay only R100 for a return ticket or R53 one-way. And make use of the pensioner’s meal special at Table Mountain Café – ask a cashier at the pay point for more information.
#2: Golf at Skukuza
A birdie or a hole-in-one is so much better when the golf course is also home to the Kruger National Park’s Big Five. Skukuza Golf Course is ideal for all level of golfers and tee-off times are between 07:00 and 11:00 from Sunday to Friday. South African senior citizens that are also members of the South African Golf Association (SAGA), will pay R130 for 9 holes, and R150 for 18 holes. Why not make it an extra relaxed day and hire a motorised golf cart? Oh, and pack your camera for those special wildlife sightings.
Contact the club at +27 (0)13 735 5543 for reservations and enquiries.
#3: Garden Route birding
Long-time love birds thinking about a second (or third) honeymoon? The Garden Route National Park’s three sections – Tsitsikamma, Knysna and Wilderness – are home to hundreds of bird species waiting to be ticked and photographed. One of them is of course the beautiful and ever-so-shy Knysna turaco (Tauraco corythaix). Be sure to pack your binoculars. Think about it: hours on end spent hand in hand reminiscing about your days as a couple while waiting to snap that special feathered friend.
#4: Journey to the past in Mapungubwe
Find out more about the ancestral people of Mapungubwe National Park and the oldest known kingdom in South Africa. The two-hour guided Heritage Tour provides a fascinating glimpse into the community behind the iconic golden rhino. It costs R230 per person and departure times are 07:00, 10:00 or 15:00. Take note that the tour is not accessible to the mobility impaired. Don’t leave Mapungubwe without marvelling at the baobab trees and enjoying the views at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers.
Book the Heritage Tour with the park on +27 (0)15 534 7923 or send an email to [email protected].
Dear sirs,
The discount you mentioned above for pensioners is that also in force for pensioners from Europe?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Kind regards
The Pensioners discounts only apply South African citizens
I see that the discount does not apply if you book on line. Why is this so? I am planning a trip for May that will require several bookings which I need to co-ordinate and it is so much easier to do it online where I can see what is available etc.
thank you for giving something back to the lifelong taxpayers, … gotta look well after my health, I will be 60 in about 26years 🙂
Why is there NO discount for Pensioners on the WildCard?
I agree with the comment made on ‘non online’ reservations for pensioners. Why? This surely does make no sense at all. Please please reconsider!!
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO COORDINATE OUR HOLIDAYS WHEN SOME BOOKINGS HAVE TO BE DONE ONLLINE AND PENSIONERS DISCOUNT DAYS WE HAVE TO PHONE THROUGH. EVERY YEAR I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH OFTEN ENTAILS OVERPAYING FOR ACCOMMODATION AND TRYING TO GET REFUNDS. PLEASE RECONSIDER ALLOWING PENSIONERS DISCOUNT TO BOOK ONLINE.
Pensioner’s Booking online please, on an updated website which indicates availability at that moment. It’s not difficult to do! Come on!
Sanparks have all my details on line and therefore can see immediately that I am a pensioner. I understand that the discounted rates don’t apply over weekends etc. but a computer can sort that out easily. Thus there is no real good reason why the bookings cannot be done on line. We have just travelled around the Eastern Cape without sticking to a set schedule which enabled us to spend more or less time in a park depending on the conditions there. We would check accomodation availability at the next park, sometimes the evening before on line, and if it was available would drive in. However, as we found in Addo this is risky to say the least because there are other tourists doing the same.
Why, can we as a pensioner not get a reduction in our annual wild Card purchase. i have been entering the Cape of Good Hope Nature reserve for the past 46 years on a weekly basis and feel that it is by time that our yearly entrance fee get reduced.
The S A pensioners must be your most loyal, well behaved and wanted visitors. The cost of a wild card becomes really a problem to many of us. How can you assist? We all look well after your property and do not leave it in an untidy and damaged condition. We certainly are special guests.
Neels Mostert
Sal ook graag wil weet of daar afslag op wildcard is. Hulle dink seker daar is reeds afslag vir >60 sekere tye vd jaar, maar ANTWOORD ten minste die wat vra? Dis mos net goeie maniere, of hoe?
Good day Koos. Unfortunately, there is no discount available for pensioners when purchasing a Wild Card. Senior citizens can however save up to 40% at a stay at selected national parks and reserves. Please click on the following link for more information: https://www.wildcard.co.za/make-2018-count-senior-citizen-discount/
Booking via email or phone is surely no bother when you consider the discount available. Caravanners score big time.