Marloth Park rules for guests

Last checked 26 October 2026

Where these rules come from

Marloth Park has its own conservation by-laws, gazetted by the Nkomazi Local Municipality, which enforces them through its rangers and law enforcement officers. These are the ones that matter to guests.

Your host may add house rules of their own, such as check-in times or noise curfews, and those apply as well.

Speed limits

Road	Limit
Olifant RoadThe main tar road through Marloth	50 km/h
All other roadsGravel and side roads	30 km/h

Last checked 26 October 2026

The limits cut noise and dust and protect the animals, which step onto the road without warning. Give animals right of way, and slow down further after dark, when you can't see them until you're close.

Feeding the animals

• Feed only antelope pellets, and wild bird seed for birds. Other food is harmful to them.
• Never feed by hand. The animals are wild, and kudu and nyala bulls have horns.
• Don't feed baboons or monkeys at all.

Pellets are sold in the shops in Marloth. Bread, mealies and leftovers from the braai make the animals ill. You'll see animals whether you feed them or not.

Pets

Pets are not allowed in Marloth Park. The by-laws say no animal or bird may be kept on a stand without the municipality's written consent, and that no pets, animal refuges or animal care centres are allowed. Taming or keeping wild animals is also forbidden. The reason is disease: domestic animals carry infections that the wildlife here, and in Kruger next door, has no immunity to.

The fine is R7,000 per pet, and fines under the Mpumalanga Nature Conservation Act can be much higher. If you find an injured or orphaned wild animal, don't take it in. Tell your host so the municipal rangers can arrange care through a registered rehabilitation centre.

Driving and lights

• Never drive off the road. The grazing in Marloth is already under pressure.
• Don't use spotlights on the animals. It disturbs them.

Noise

Keep noise down. Loud music isn't allowed, because sound carries a long way in the bush and spoils it for everyone around you.

Fires and braais

Marloth is a high fire risk area: thatched and wooden houses all year, and the veld in winter. The fire rules:

• Never braai in windy weather or leave a fire unattended.
• Never use petrol or other fuel to light a fire.
• When you're done, smother the fire with a metal cover or douse it with water, and check that the coals are dead.
• Put dead coals and ashes in your rubbish or a drum. Don't dump them in the veld.
• Don't leave mosquito coils burning when you leave the room, and use solar lights, not candles.
• Don't flick cigarette butts onto the ground.

Wood, plants and litter

• Don't collect fallen wood. It's part of the ecosystem. Firewood is sold at the shops.
• Don't bring in plants. Exotic plants spread into the veld and some are poisonous to the animals.
• Don't litter, including cigarette butts. Animals eat litter by mistake.
• There are no public toilets. If children need to go in the bush, take the tissue and any wet wipes or nappies home with you.
• Take your recycling to one of the gates. Monkeys, baboons and mongoose raid bins left outside.

Walking and cycling after dark

The by-laws don't set a walking curfew, but many hosts' house rules ban walking and cycling on the roads after dark, and it's safer not to walk after dark because dangerous animals may be about. Lions do come in from Kruger now and then. Stay indoors or drive after dark.

Reporting a problem

For a fire, an animal in trouble or someone breaking the by-laws, tell your host first. They'll know which local number to call. We'll publish the municipal rangers' and security numbers on the emergency page once we've checked each one by phone. For a medical emergency or a crime in progress, call 112 from any cell phone.