Addo Elephant National Park

Please be advised that Matyholweni Reception no longer accepts cash payments.

While we strive to maintain uninterrupted services, especially Matyholweni occasionally experiences network outages. However, we are working on this with our IT team. In the event of a network outage at this gate on the day of a guest’s visit, they will be requested to complete their payment at Main Camp before exiting the Park.

To minimize delays and streamline their check-in process, we strongly encourage all guests to book and pay for their day visits online in advance – https://bit.ly/3QP2xgn. While this website displays as bookings for “Addo Rest Camp”, payment through any of the Park’s gates can be made here.

This convenient option allows guests to complete administrative tasks online, saving them time and effort upon arrival.

It’s been just over nine months since the new, stricter entry and exit measures were put in place at our gates in an effort to improve the safety and security of our visitors, staff, fauna and flora. This has entailed the scanning of every entering vehicle’s licence disc, as well as the driver’s license of the driver. We thank all our visitors who have understood the requirement over this time and complied.

These measures will be stepped up soon, to include the verification of all passengers over the age of 18. As of 1 April 2023, no one will be allowed to enter OR exit the Park without the VALID documentation as listed below, which must be made available for the gate staff on duty to scan.

• Driver’s license (driver of the vehicle)
• ID book/card/driver’s license for South African visitors (all persons/passengers over 18)
• Passport (for international guests)
• Valid vehicle license disk

NO DOCUMENT means NO ENTRY!

Please note that this applies to EVERYONE entering/exiting the Park:

• All passengers in vehicles
• Staff
• Staff visitors (including pedestrians)
• Official visitors
• Contractors and their staff, including BSP
• Delivery vehicles and their staff
• Wild Card holders
• Gorah and Riverbend concessions
• Open safari vehicles
• Tourist busses

To contact this section of the Park, please call 071 563 2115 – Cellphone reception is sketchy at times, so please bear with them. Alternately, please call Matyholweni Rest Camp on 041 468 0916 or the Addo Duty Cellphone 082 471 0267.

Office hours: The Reception office closes at 15:00 daily. Day hikers will no longer be accommodated after that time. Guests arriving after 15:00 will find their keys in the key boxes. They will need to report to the office the next day to complete all the necessary paperwork.

Groups planning to take on the Alexandria Trail are reminded that a minimum of three people and a maximum of 12 are allowed at a time. Starting time for the trail is no later than 10:00.

After recent and persistent heavy rain, it is advisable that only high-ground clearance vehicles drive the Woody Cape access road from the R72 during or immediately after rainy days. Regular vehicles may take it on, albeit at a slow, careful pace, looking out for potholes, on non-rainy days. Please note that this is a District road, and as such falls out of SANParks’ jurisdiction.

Additionally, access to Umsintsi Cottage on the two-track road is only possible with a high-ground clearance vehicle.