The 5 Perennial Rivers Of The Kruger National Park... All You Need To Know About Them!

Rivers Of The Kruger Park (Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park)

Rivers are the source of life as they provide water in times of need. In the Kruger National Park, life revolves around (Mainly) five(5) of these beautiful bodies of water; rivers. Listed below will be names, information and a picture of the perennial river. Just click the picture to get a larger image (When pictures are available, coming soon).

The Crocodile River

The Crocodile River in the Kruger National Park forms the southern boundary of this wilderness area. The name for the Crocodile River came from the translation of the original Sotho name: Mokwena, which means Crocodile. The Swazi and Tsonga people refer to the river as Ngwenya which also means Crocodile. This perennial river flows through the entire southern boundary of the park from before the Malelane area to the edge of the park past the Shishangeni Lodge. Three things to look out for around the Crocodile River are: African Lion, Cheetah and Nile Crocodile.

The Letaba River

The Letaba River in the Kruger is the main tributary of the Olifants River (See below) . The name of this river is derived from the Sotho word Lehlaba which means river of sand. This perennial river forms the boundary and flows through the Mahlangeni, Phalaborwa, Letaba and Olifants rangers section in the park, crossing the Kruger from west to east. The Letaba joins the Olifants at the foot of the Lebombo Mountains, which is about 5 kilometers from the Mozambique border. Three things to look out for around the Letaba River are: African Elephant, Southern Leopard and the prolific birdlife along the river.

The Luvuvhu River

The Luvuvhu River, in the north of the Kruger National Park, is a tributary of the Limpopo River. The Luvuvhu River forms the Northern border of Kruger from Dongadzilha up to Mutale. This river gets it's name from the Venda word Muvuvhu which is the word for the tree called the River Bushwillow. It has often been referred to as the Pafuri River which is technically incorrect. Three things to look out for around the Luvuvhu River are the amazing Alluvial plains, spectacular birdlife and the Nyala.

The Olifants River

The Olifants River is the largest perennial river that intersects the Kruger National Park. The Olifants forms a dividing line between the central and northern section of the Kruger. Olifants is an Afrikaans word and when fully translated means the river of Elephants. Three special things to look out for are: the Nile Crocodile, Cape Clawless Otter and a variety of wading birds (Waders).

The Sabie River

The Sabie River is probably the most well known and notorious of Kruger's rivers. The Sabie River is a tributary of the Komati River and flows past Skukuza and Lower Sabie. Sabie is derived from a siSwati word Sabisa which means: Be careful! Sabisa was not used because of the fear of Crocodile, Leopard, Lion or Snake but because of the rocks on the Sabie River. These rocks are very slippery and even when walked on with extreme caution, you can go tumbling down into the Sabie River. Three things to see around the Sabie River are... African Lion, Southern Leopard and different species of waterbirds.

Fact: The Sabie River has the highest population density of Leopards in the world!

Kruger Park

SA Game Reserves