Tour guides · South Africa
How much should you tip a tour guide in South Africa?
Short answer
R100–200 per person, per day
R100–200 per person per day. More on safari.
City and day-tour guides get R100–200 per person per day. Safari is a separate convention: expect roughly R100–300 per person per day for your ranger and R75–150 for the tracker. Both Lonely Planet and Rough Guides put safari staff around US$5–10 a day, which sits at the lower half of that band, handed over at the end of the stay, plus a contribution to the general staff box for the kitchen and housekeeping team. Most lodges explain their tipping guidance at check-in. Ask.
Things to do in South Africa
Where are you actually going? These are the best rated in each place.
Cape TownIndia Venster: sensational half-day route up Table Mountain5.0·155 reviews·from €105.41
JohannesburgPretoria,Johannesburg,soweto & Apartheid Museum tour5.0·60 reviews·from €147.02PretoriaPretoria,Johannesburg,soweto & Apartheid Museum tour5.0·60 reviews·from €147.02
DurbanHluhluwe Imfolozi and St Lucia 3 Day Safari from Durban5.0·21 reviews·from €657.45Some links may earn WhatTheTip a commission at no extra cost to you.
Common questions
- How much should you tip tour guides in South Africa?
- R100–200 per person per day. More on safari.
- Can you tip by card in South Africa?
- Card tipping is easy and universal, portable terminals come to the table and prompt for a tip before you enter your PIN. Cash is still preferred for car guards, petrol attendants and safari staff.
More on tipping in South Africa
Tipping tour guides elsewhere
Full tipping guide for South Africa
Reviewed by Greg Kockott on 3 September 2026.
Figures checked against the sources below on 4 September 2026.
Sources
- Rough Guides, “South Africa travel tips for first-timers” (consulted 2026-09-04)
- Lonely Planet, “The Ultimate Guide to Tipping in Africa” (consulted 2026-09-04)