Safari and Craft Activities in Hlabisa
Hlabisa is a modest rural village in uMkhanyakude District, KwaZulu-Natal, and its main draw is the wildlife park on its western doorstep. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, usually shortened to HiP, is reached by Nyalazi Gate, which lies about 21 km from the village, a drive of 30 to 35 minutes. Money here is the South African rand (R).
Driving Yourself Through the Park
Most visitors enter with their own vehicle and pay a conservation fee at the gate. Expect about R300 to R320 a day for an international adult and about R150 to R160 for a child under 12. South African and SADC residents who show ID pay about R150 to R160 as adults and R75 to R80 as children. Overnight guests pay the same daily fee as day visitors.
You may step out of the car only at designated points. On gravel roads keep to about 40 km/h and follow the posted limits. Gates open at roughly 05:00 in summer and 06:00 in winter, and they close at about 19:00 and 18:00, with the times enforced firmly. Pets cannot enter.
These amounts follow Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s tariff for 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2026. The next tariff year begins on 1 November, so look up the latest figures first.
Ranger-Guided Options
If you would rather leave the driving to someone else, Ezemvelo staff lead drives and walks from Mpila and Hilltop camps. A drive costs R420 per person and is sold for groups of four or more, which works out at R1,680 per vehicle. A walk costs R400 per person with at least two people, a ceiling of eight, and an armed ranger in front. Walks take no children under 12, and the tariff sets the limit at 13, so plan around 13. Drive passengers must be 3 or older. Reserve at the camp office or call central reservations on +27 33 845 1067.
A Stop for Crafts and Interpretation
The Centenary Centre sits near Nyalazi Gate, some 12 km from Mpila. Its exhibits describe the park’s game capture work, and the Vulamethlo Craft Market operates on the grounds. A take-away counter serves from 08:00 to 16:00 every day.
Hlabisa Baskets
The village is known for ilala-palm baskets woven by Zulu women. Beauty Ngxongo, born in 1953 and still living in Hlabisa, has a lidded basket made around 1990 in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection. When you shop for baskets, deal directly with the weaver and accept the price quoted.
Sensible Precautions
Keep your road travel to daylight, lock the doors, and avoid country roads after dark, when carjackings are a recognised hazard and cattle stray onto tarmac. Parts of northern KwaZulu-Natal carry a seasonal risk of malaria, so speak with a travel clinic about preventive medicine, and wear repellent in the evening. Ivory and rhino horn must never be bought.
Read more: day trips from Hlabisa maps out nearby towns and reserves.
You can check rules on the Ezemvelo protected-area page , see fees in the tariff booklet , and look at guided safaris on Viator .