What it costs to drive from Joburg to the Kruger Park this December
It will cost motorists at least R1,430 to drive from Johannesburg to the Kruger National Park this December, according to a calculation by TopAuto.
The end of the year is upon us, and households around South Africa are finalizing their well-deserved holiday plans.
One of the most popular activities is to visit one of the country’s incredible South African National (SAN) Parks, the most famous of which is the Kruger.
An iconic destination for locals and international visitors alike, the Kruger is located to the east of South Africa stretching across the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
For many people, visiting the Kruger will either mean driving from their home in Gauteng, or flying to O.R. Tambo International Airport and renting a car to make the trip to the park.
We therefore decided to run the calculations to see what people can expect to spend on fuel if they visit the Kruger this holiday.
What it costs
We used the airport as a general starting point for anyone making the car trip from Joburg.
Assuming individuals take the fastest route to via the N12 and N4 to reach Malelane (one of the park’s more popular entrances), the journey will be roughly 392km long and take four and a half hours to complete.
Petrol 95 is currently retailing for R21.41 per litre, following the latest fuel price adjustments that took effect on 3 December 2025.
Based on these factors, this is how much you will spend on petrol to make the trip, depending on your car’s fuel consumption:
| Efficiency | Fuel needed | One-way trip | Return trip |
| 5.0l/100km | 19.60 litres | R420 | R840 |
| 6.0l/100km | 23.52 litres | R504 | R1,008 |
| 7.0l/100km | 27.44 litres | R587 | R1,174 |
| 8.0l/100km | 31.36 litres | R671 | R1,342 |
| 9.0l/100km | 35.28 litres | R755 | R1,510 |
| 10.0l/100km | 39.20 litres | R839 | R1,678 |
| 11.0l/100km | 43.12 litres | R923 | R1,846 |
| 12.0l/100km | 47.04 litres | R1,007 | R2,014 |
| 13.0l/100km | 50.96 litres | R1,091 | R2,182 |
Of course, fuel is not the only travel cost we need to consider, as there are three toll plazas on our chosen route:
These are the up-to-date prices for each toll gate on the way to Kruger:
- Middelburg – R81
- Machado – R122
- Nkomazi – R92
All told, we’re looking at a toll bill of R295 for a one-way trip.
This means it should cost a minimum of R715 to drive to the national park this December, assuming you have a fuel-efficient car.
Anyone who has a thirsty vehicle, on the other hand, can expect to spend around R1,386.
This is only for the first half of the journey, mind you, as we need to double these sums to work out the return trip to Gauteng.
With that in mind, motorists will spend anywhere from R1,430 to R2,772 to drive to and from Kruger Park this holiday.
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