The gates, in detail
The gates of the Sabi Sand
Five gates serve the reserve, but you will only ever use one of three: Gowrie in the north, Newington in the west and centre, or Shaws in the south, whichever sits behind your lodge. This page has their coordinates, their hours, and which camps you will find behind each.
If you only want the answer
The three public gates are Gowrie in the north (-24.694681, 31.515164), Newington in the west and centre (-24.868989, 31.404586) and Shaws in the south (-24.928349, 31.479635), all open 05:00 to 23:00 with last entry at 22:00; arrive outside those hours and it costs R150 in cash. Heavy vehicles over 3,500 kg may enter 09:00 to 14:00 and deliveries 09:00 to 15:00, both required out by 16:00, and an internal curfew clears the roads from 23:30 to 04:30. Two more gates exist that guests never use, Dumphries for staff and Toulon for Skukuza Airport traffic, both open 06:00 to 18:00. At any of the three public gates you need a permit your own lodge has stamped for you.
The three you will use
Your lodge tells you which gate to head for, and it is worth writing down: the three sit tens of kilometres apart on unmarked farm roads, and arriving at the wrong one can cost you a couple of hours (sabisand.co.za/lodges/, read 16 September 2026).
| Gate | Coordinates | Sector | Camps behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gowrie Gate | -24.694681, 31.515164 | North | Arathusa, Cheetah Plains, Chitwa Chitwa, Elephant Plains, Jaci's Sabi House, Nkorho, Silvan, Simbambili |
| Newington Gate | -24.868989, 31.404586 | West and centre | Dulini Moya, Dulini River, Dulini Leadwood, Idube, Inyati, Leopard Hills, Londolozi, Savanna, Singita Ebony, Singita Castleton, Singita Boulders, Ulusaba |
| Shaws Gate | -24.928349, 31.479635 | South | Kirkman's Kamp, Tengile River Lodge, Lion Sands River Lodge, Lion Sands Ivory Lodge |
Sabi Sabi and MalaMala are not on the association's gate list at all; the reserve page has that story and what it means for your invoice.
Two more you will not use
Dumphries Gate handles staff and pedestrians only. Toulon Gate carries only traffic to and from Skukuza Airport. Both run 06:00 to 18:00, shorter hours than the three public gates, and neither takes a guest vehicle (sabisand.co.za/access/, read 16 September 2026).
Hours, curfew and the cost of being late
All three public gates open at 05:00 and take last entry at 22:00, with the gate itself closing at 23:00. Arrive before 05:00 or after 23:00 and you pay R150 in cash, no other method accepted (sabisand.co.za/access/, read 16 September 2026).
Once inside, an internal curfew runs from 23:30 to 04:30: no unauthorised vehicle movement between camps in that window. The roads you are on at night are the same ones lions and leopards use.
Heavy vehicles over 3,500 kg get a narrower slot, entering 09:00 to 14:00 and required out by 16:00. Delivery vehicles get a little more room, entering 09:00 to 15:00 and also out by 16:00. Neither window overlaps with the dawn or dusk game drives, which is presumably the point.
What you need to show
At any of the three gates you need a permit stamped by the lodge you are booked into; it tells the guard which piece of the reserve you are actually allowed to be driving to. Bring ID or a passport as well. If you are driving in yourself, you also pay the standard entry fees on top, light vehicle or heavy, plus a charge per person; the conservation levy page has those amounts and how they stack up against what your lodge already bills you.