Botswana Park/Conservation fees

[ettery]

Hi All - 

We leave in a week and have campsites etc booked, but I just came across a video when they mention that park/conservation fees can not be paid at the parks, only at DWNP offices in major centres or before you travel.  Is this correct, and how does one go about doing this please if it needs to be done beforehand?  

We will be in Mabua, Moremi and Chobe.  The only town we go to is Maun.

Thanks!

Regards,

Peter

[Brett]

Get it done at the Maun offices Peter.

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[Brett]

According to the Chobe National Park website, you can pay the fees at major entrance gates.

https://chobenationalpark.co.za/chobe-national-park-information/

I have always known it as either you pay directly to DWNP, if self booking or your booking agent does so on your behalf. I have often paid at the Maun offices, one can catch up with what's happening in the parks directly with DWNP

Personally I would confirm telephonically ASAP.

Try these numbers ..

Botswana Footprints +26775106530 

Bigfoot Tours Cathy +2673953360 or +2673910927

Central Reservations +2673996543 or +2673180774

Good luck

Brett 

On Sun, 10 Aug 2025, 19:44 ettery, <ett...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Peter Wood]

Thanks Brett.   Some sources (eg. Getaway below) say you can pay the park fees at the gate if you have a paid up camping voucher?  

https://www.getaway.co.za/destinations/africa/botswana-africa/book-campsites-botswanas-national-parks/

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Peter Wood
+27 84 5619425

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[Lizette Swart]

Hi Peter,

For Kgalagadi I just paid at Two Rivers and Kaa gates for entry fees and camping - they even have card machines, although the one at Kaa gate just declined every single card we tried! Last year I entered at Mabua, I was given a reservation number to pay upon exit at Kaa gate. All these gates first phoned DWNP to check availability. I also paid entry fees last year (in cash) at Savute to DWNP at the Savute campsite, not at the entrance gate.

Earlier this year DWNP brought in a new rule that one could not "add on" extra campers when you arrive at the gate, it all had to happen at the DWNP offices - this included your booking for camping. However it seems to not be applied all that strictly. 

If your first stop is Mabua, on the Kgalagadi map I received at the Twee Rivieren gate, there is a number for DWNP in Tsabong: +267 654 0280/221 - maybe try call them to see if you can pay there?

Else Maun is a good place to pay for all, or at the Sedudu entrance gate at Kasane. Just show your camping vouchers and they will work out how much you owe.

 

Regards/Groete

Lizette

Lizette Swart

liz...@tracks4africa.co.za

+27 (0)21 880 8660

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[gra...@segaigai.com]

Hi Peter,

                I live in Botswana, visit the parks and reserves frequently, and have always paid at the gate, and in cash.  Many park gates don’t have facilities for card payments.  Payment of entry fees in advance at a DWNP office is a real hassle, unless you are in a position to front up in person,  and I suspect getting a refund if the park has been closed due to (say) flooding or wildfires would probably be even worse. 

 

Can you be turned away if you don’t already have a campsite booking ?  In theory yes. 

 

Regulation 4(8) of the National Parks & Game Reserves Regulations (2000) says

 

In the interests of maintaining densities of visitors within the carrying capacity or some other ground specified in the management plan, the Director or the Officer-in-Charge may restrict entry to a national park or game reserve to persons holding valid reservations for specified lodges, camp sites or other facilities or may restrict the number of persons without such reservations entering a national park or game reserve.

 

In practice you can always enter the Chobe, Moremi, Nxai Pan, Makgadikgadi Pans, Gaborone, Mogobane, Bathoen Dam, Nnywane Dam and Mannyelanong parks and reserves without an accommodation booking.  Some of these reserves have other entry requirements, but accommodation bookings are not a precondition for entry to any of them and indeed many are visited by day trippers.

 

The Gemsbok National Park (i.e. the Botswana side of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park) has its own set of regulations: the Gemsbok National Park Regulations (2000), and there is nothing in these regulations to suggest that entry can be restricted to persons with an accommodation booking.  But of course you will want a campsuite anyway since the distances are vast and a day trip wouldn’t get you very far.

 

Hope this helps !

 

Graeme

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[Brett]

Yes, your paid for camping voucher (booking) is an important document whether you are paying at DWNP or at any gate. Same for Khama RS.

I would still make contact with one of the booking companies to make sure, even if it is just to make sure that network signal is working at that particular gate.

One of the reasons as to why you must always carry enough money to fill your tanks at least once .. card machines do not always have connectivity.

Cheers Brett 

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[Peter Wood]

Thank you Brett, Graeme and Lizette for you input on this, very much appreciated as always!

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