Off grid camping in Southern Africa is about getting beyond the usual tourist routes and discovering the places most travellers never see. From remote desert camps in Namibia and wild campsites in Botswana to mountain escapes in Lesotho, beach camps in Mozambique and secluded stays across South Africa, there are thousands of places waiting to be discovered.
Off-Grid Adventures brings these places together to help campers, overlanders and independent travellers discover off grid camping and accommodation across Southern Africa.
Use our interactive map for inspiration, explore our country guides, or search our growing accommodation directory to find somewhere for your next adventure.
Explore Off-Grid Camping Across Southern Africa
Our interactive map brings together campsites and remote destinations across the region. Zoom into an area to discover places you may never have known existed, then use our accommodation directory and destination guides to research your trip further.
Off-Grid Camping by Country
Southern Africa offers an extraordinary variety of off-grid camping and accommodation, from deserts and mountain kingdoms to wildlife areas, forests and remote beaches.
Use the country guides below to explore different destinations, discover places to camp and stay, and find practical information for planning your journey.
Namibia
Namibia is one of Southern Africa’s great off-grid destinations. Vast desert landscapes, long gravel roads and remote wilderness areas make it particularly popular with campers and overlanders looking to travel beyond the usual tourist routes.
Whether you’re planning a journey through the Namib, exploring the south of the country or heading north into increasingly remote landscapes, there are countless opportunities to get away from busy campsites and established tourist centres.
Explore our Namibia resources:
- Namibia Off-Grid Camping Maps
- Namibia’s Best Off-Grid Campsites
- Top 10 Best Places to Overland in Namibia
Botswana
Botswana is renowned for its wilderness, wildlife and remote travel experiences. From the Kalahari to the Okavango region, camping here can take you into some of Southern Africa’s most remarkable landscapes.
For independent travellers and overlanders, Botswana offers everything from established wilderness camps to journeys where careful planning, fuel, water and self-sufficiency become an important part of the adventure.
Explore our Botswana resources:
- Botswana’s Hidden Off-Grid Campsites
- Top 10 Best Places to Overland in Botswana
- Botswana vs Namibia Safari Comparison
South Africa
South Africa offers an enormous variety of off-grid camping experiences, from secluded mountain camps and private farms to remote wilderness areas and campsites reached by gravel road or 4×4.
The Northern Cape and Richtersveld are particularly well suited to travellers looking for wide-open landscapes and remote adventures, but hidden campsites and unusual places to stay can be found throughout the country.
Explore some of our South African adventures:
- Northern Cape’s Off-Grid Gems
- A 7-Day Off-Grid Adventure in the Richtersveld
- Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Travel Guide
Lesotho
Known as the Kingdom in the Sky, Lesotho offers mountain scenery, high-altitude roads and a very different camping and overlanding experience from much of Southern Africa.
It is an excellent destination for travellers who enjoy mountain passes, remote communities and journeys where the road itself becomes part of the adventure.
Explore our Lesotho resources:
Mozambique
Mozambique combines off-grid travel with a spectacular coastline. Remote beach camps, sandy access roads and destinations far from the larger resorts make it especially attractive to campers and 4×4 travellers.
Some destinations require considerably more planning than a conventional camping holiday, but that is also part of what makes exploring Mozambique so rewarding.
Explore our Mozambique resources:
- Mozambique Off-Grid Camping Maps
- Best Places to Overland and Camp in Mozambique
- Camping in Mozambique – Mamoli Beach Camp
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe offers a combination of dramatic landscapes, wildlife destinations and overlanding opportunities that make it well worth including in a Southern African adventure.
Travellers willing to explore beyond the best-known attractions can discover a country with enormous potential for camping and independent travel.
Explore our Zimbabwe resources:
Zambia and Beyond
Our collection continues beyond the destinations above, with off-grid accommodation and adventures across Zambia and other parts of the region.
As the Off-Grid Adventures community and directory grow, we’ll continue adding destinations, accommodation and travel resources to help make lesser-known places easier to discover.
Rather than relying only on this guide, use our live accommodation search to see what is currently available.
Plan Your Southern African Off-Grid Adventure
Finding the destination is only the beginning. Travelling through Southern Africa can involve long distances, changing road conditions, border crossings and stretches where fuel, water and other services are limited.
Good preparation makes it much easier to enjoy the journey.
If you’re planning a longer trip, start with our broader guides:
- The Ultimate Guide to Overlanding and Camping in Southern Africa
- Cross-Border Travel from South Africa
Explore 4×4 Routes and Trails
Sometimes getting there is half the adventure.
Southern Africa has an enormous network of gravel roads, mountain passes, farm trails and dedicated 4×4 routes. Off-Grid Adventures is now building a searchable collection of routes to complement our accommodation directory.
Search the route directory to discover somewhere new to drive, or explore our guide to 4×4 trails in Southern Africa for inspiration.
Explore 4×4 Trails in Southern Africa
Find Your Next Off-Grid Stay
The map and guides on this page are designed to help you discover what is out there, while our accommodation directory helps you find individual places to stay.
Search our growing collection of campsites, bush camps, cabins, chalets, glamping destinations and other off-grid accommodation across Southern Africa.
Where available, Off-Grid Adventures puts travellers directly in touch with accommodation owners so you can ask questions and plan your stay.
Know an Off-Grid Place We Should Include?
Some of the best campsites and off-grid destinations in Southern Africa are still discovered through word of mouth.
If you know a remote campsite, bush camp, farm stay, cabin or another off-grid destination that deserves to be discovered, we’d love to hear about it.
Sharing these places helps other travellers discover new adventures while helping small and independent destinations become easier to find.
Own or Manage Off-Grid Accommodation?
If you own or manage a campsite, bush camp, lodge, cabin, chalet, glamping destination or other off-grid accommodation, you can add your property to Off-Grid Adventures for free.
Our aim is simple: help travellers discover interesting places and connect them directly with the people who operate them.
There are no booking commissions from Off-Grid Adventures. Your listing helps visitors discover your property and contact you directly.
Keep Exploring
Off-Grid Adventures is about discovering the places that don’t always appear in conventional travel searches — and helping the people who love exploring Southern Africa find them.
Whether you’re looking for a quiet campsite far from the crowds, planning a cross-border overlanding journey or searching for a new 4×4 route, your next adventure may be closer than you think.