Three new restaurants coming to South Africa’s biggest national park

The Kruger National Park is set to welcome three new restaurants in the coming months as its previous concession agreements come to a close.

SANParks, the national body responsible for managing the Kruger National Park, made the announcement in a media statement on 12 October 2026.

The appointment of the new restaurant operators follows a tender process which SANParks said had attracted high-quality hospitality brands.

“SANParks is pleased to announce the appointment of new restaurant operators at selected camps within the Kruger National Park,” SANParks spokesperson JP Louw said.

“This forms part of our ongoing efforts to enhance visitor experiences and invest in world-class tourism facilities.”

The appointments coincide with the expiry of prior concession agreements between SANParks and the previous operators of the affected restaurants.

Three of the park’s camps are set to receive brand-new restaurants, with the Tindlovu Restaurant at Berg-en-Dal becoming Eziko Eatery.

The Wimpy at the Pretoriuskop camp will be transformed into Le Lapeng Burgers and Grill, while the Mugg & Bean at Lower Sabie will be reintroduced as Sabie River Café.

In addition to the three new restaurants, the Cattle Baron restaurant at the park’s largest camp and administrative headquarters, Skukuza, will undergo refurbishment.

While the restaurants are undergoing renovations, temporary dining facilities with limited menus will be made available to park visitors to ensure continuity of service.

“The new operators bring fresh concepts, investment, and energy to some of the park’s most popular camps,” Louw said.

“This contributes to economic growth, job creation, and an improved tourism offering within the Kruger National Park.”

SANParks said it is looking forward to unveiling the new restaurants and upgraded facilities within the coming months.

The Kruger National Park is the largest and most popular national park in South Africa, covering 2 million hectares and welcoming 2 million visitors annually.

Troubled history for Kruger restaurants

Privately-operated restaurants existed in the Kruger National Park as early as 1931 at camps such as Skukuza, Satara, and Letaba.

SANParks took over operations of the park’s restaurants in 1955, and continued to run them internally until 2001, when it began outsourcing restaurants and shops.

The first major restaurant concession at the Kruger went to the Vilayet consortium, trading as Nature’s Group, which won tenders for both the Northern and Southern Kruger restaurant packages.

In November 2005, SANParks placed Vilayet into emergency liquidation, citing its inability to pay its staff, creditors, and its concession fees, affecting 450 employees.

Compass Group was appointed as the interim operator, but further complications over the next few years led SANParks to open concessions to national restaurant chains in 2013.

The following year, Mugg & Bean opened at Lower Sabie, Letaba, and Olifants, while Wimpy opened at Pretoriuskop. Satara also received a Mugg & Bean, alongside a Debonairs Pizza.

These brands are owned by JSE-listed Famous Brands, the largest restaurant franchisor in Africa.

The move proved controversial, raising public concerns over litter, corporate branding, and the suitability of fast-food restaurants in a national park.

While SANParks initially reported improved customer satisfaction, further franchise disputes led to Mugg & Bean and Debonairs losing their branding at Satara, Letaba, and Olifants in 2017.

New tenders were awarded to Tourvest Holdings and Famous Brands, who will operate the park’s new restaurants under 15-year contracts.

The two companies came out on top among 21 bids from 11 registered companies, with a few competing to operate several of the park’s restaurants.

One of the bidders was the Spur Corporation, which owns brands such as Spur, Panarottis, and RocoMamas. Another bidder was Ou Meul Holdings, which operates the Bootlegger Coffee Company.

Lower Sabie drew the most bids, at 10, with Famous Brands losing the bid despite their Mugg & Bean brand having operated in the camp since 2014.

Famous Brands ultimately secured the concessions at Berg-en-Dal and Pretoriuskop, with Tourvest Holdings taking Lower Sabie and Skukuza.

Tourvest will pay SANParks 17.5% of gross revenue from each of its two new restaurants, while Famous Brands will pay 13% of gross revenue from Berg-en-Dal and 9% from Pretoriuskop.