Mthwazi Lodge
Exclusive-use lodge for up to 8, with a cook · Hluhluwe section, near Hilltop · Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
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Budget
Inside the park
Park-run (Ezemvelo)
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's exclusive-use lodge in the Hluhluwe section, near Hilltop, for a group of up to eight. Ezemvelo's 2025 Beach2Bush release says it 'comes with a private cook' and that 'further upgrades have been scheduled'. Under the 2025/26 tariff it costs R7,800 for up to six and R10,400 for eight, which is R1,300 a person when full. Being near Hilltop puts the restaurant, shop, fuel and Ezemvelo's game drives and walks within reach. Choose it for a group that wants its own house in the hillier, wetter north of the park; the iMfolozi bush lodges are cheaper for the same group size. The provincial authority owns and runs it.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Your own lodge in the Hluhluwe section
- A private cook, according to Ezemvelo
- Hilltop's fuel, shop and activities nearby
- On the tar-road side of the park, reached through Memorial Gate
Cons
- Dearer than Masinda or Hlatikhulu for the same eight beds
- Upgrades were announced in 2025; the work's status is not published
- A couple pays the six-person base of R7,800
- Conservation fee extra every day
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryR320 per international adult per day at USD 1 = R16.35 (23 Sep 2026), 2025/26 tariff valid to 31 Oct 2026.
- $20per person, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults pay $120 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
Ezemvelo's 2025/26 tariff lists no vehicle fee for Hluhluwe-iMfolozi.
Guests at Ezemvelo's own camps and at the private lodge inside the park pay the conservation fee for every day as well; it is not included in the accommodation rates.
The full fee schedule for Hluhluwe-iMfolozi ParkRates at Mthwazi Lodge
From R7,800 a night for up to six. Ezemvelo 2025/26 tariff (1 November 2025 to 31 October 2026), standard season: R7,800 for the lodge with up to six guests (about $80 each), plus R1,300 per extra adult and R650 per extra child; R10,400 for a full eight. High season base R9,240. Ezemvelo's 2025 Beach2Bush release says it comes with a private cook. Ezemvelo is not a VAT vendor and its rates include the Community Levy. The conservation fee is extra and paid daily: R320 per international adult, R160 for South African and SADC residents. A new tariff is expected from 1 November 2026.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Rates checked on 24 September 2026. Ezemvelo's figures come from its 2025/26 tariff, valid to 31 October 2026; a new tariff is expected from 1 November 2026 and had not been published on that date. The private lodge inside the park, Duiker Game Lodge's package and the Ezemvelo camps are priced from their own sources. Every other figure outside the park is Booking.com's lowest displayed price for one night, 14 to 15 October 2026, two adults, and is marked as a reseller rate; it moves daily. Dollar figures use R16.35 to the dollar (ECB, 23 September 2026) and are per person sharing. The conservation fee is extra everywhere: R320 per international adult a day, R160 for South African and SADC residents.
Questions about Mthwazi Lodge
Is Mthwazi Lodge good for families?
As an exclusive-use lodge with a cook it suits a family group, and extra children above the six-person base cost R650 each under the 2025/26 tariff. We found no published minimum age for the lodge itself; Ezemvelo game drives at Hilltop take children from three.
What does Mthwazi Lodge include?
Ezemvelo's 2025 Beach2Bush release says it comes with a private cook. The tariff gives only the lodge rate. Game drives (R420 an adult) and walks (R400) at Hilltop are booked separately at reception, and the conservation fee is extra.
How do you book Mthwazi Lodge?
Through bookings.kznwildlife.com under the Hilltop listing for Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, or at bookings@kznwildlife.com and +27 33 845 1000. You check in at Hilltop.