Where can you see penguins in South Africa in 2026? From the famous African penguin colony at Boulders Beach to quieter colonies along the Cape coast, there are several places to see these remarkable birds in the wild.
Think South Africa and you immediately think wildlife, generally of the large, roaring and mammalian variety. But beyond its Big Five, the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and Cape buffalo, and their equally hefty friends the giraffe, hippo and zebra, South Africa is home to another adorable critter that will barely reach your knees: the African penguin, the only penguin species to breed in Africa.
Only found on the south-western coast of Africa, these charismatic cuties are known for their distinctive black and white plumage and donkey-like vocal stylings. South Africa has several places where you can see African penguins, with two mainland colonies open to visitors: Boulders Beach near Cape Town and Stony Point Nature Reserve at Betty’s Bay. Other African penguin colonies are found on offshore islands, while rescue centres such as SANCCOB offer a different way to learn about and see penguins up close.
So where can you see penguins in South Africa with kids? From the famous African penguin colony at Boulders Beach to the quieter colony at Stony Point and conservation centres where you can learn about their fight for survival, there are several ways to get up close to these remarkable birds. And if you’re travelling with kids, few wildlife encounters are quite as memorable as watching a penguin waddle past your feet, hearing one bray like a donkey or, at Boulders Beach, sharing the water with one.
African Penguins in South Africa: Facts and Conservation
When people think of penguins, they tend to visualise them on ice, but Africa’s penguins are the beach bums of the penguin world, and so, acclimated to warmer temperatures, it would be no surprise to see one rocking boardies and a surfboard.
While they do still sport the comical gait and tuxedoed appearance of their cool climate cousins, the African penguins also sport a dashing black stripe, black feet and a smattering of black spots on the chest that’s unique to every penguin.
Sadly, like many of their bigger South African buddies, the African penguin is facing a battle for survival. The species was upgraded from Endangered to Critically Endangered globally in 2024, after its population fell below 10,000 breeding pairs.
The latest available population figures put the number at around 9,900 breeding pairs globally, including about 8,750 in South Africa. That represents a staggering 76.9 per cent decline in the South African population over the past three generations.
The reasons are depressingly familiar: a changing climate is affecting the availability and distribution of the sardines and anchovies they rely on, while competition with commercial fisheries, oil pollution, habitat pressures and other human impacts add to the problem.
So where can you safely and ethically see the penguins in South Africa with kids?
Swim with penguins at Boulders Beach, Cape Town
It is at pretty Boulders, a series of tiny coves and little white-sand beaches scattered with 500-million-year-old granite boulders between Simon’s Town and Cape Point, that the kids and I first get to see an African penguin colony in the wild. It is also where we discover just how much penguin poo stinks. Seriously, that stuff reeks!
If you’re wondering where to see penguins in South Africa, Boulders Beach is one of the country’s best-known places to see African penguins in the wild. So we join the penguin party at Foxy Beach, where you can get within metres of several thousand of the braying charmers. An easy-to-access, wheelchair-friendly wooden walkway keeps both penguins and visitors at a safe distance.
You’ll need to pay a conservation fee at the visitors centre to gain access, as the colony falls under the protection of SANParks. We’re more than happy to hand over a little coin, as all the admission fees go towards protecting Boulders’ African penguin colony.
A few hundred metres further along is Boulders Beach, sometimes known as Penguin Beach, where you can join the penguins in the sand and sea. Yes, that’s right, you can take a dip with them in the calm, Tiffany-blue water. Protected by ancient granite boulders from wind, waves and currents, the calm waters are an ideal swimming spot for littlies.
No alcohol or smoking is permitted within the reserve and rangers patrol the beaches to ensure visitors don’t get too close to the protected penguins.
Touching them is not only a violation of conservation efforts, it is also extremely ill-advised, as these feathered funsters are not as sweet as they look. They can, and will, inflict a nasty injury with their sharp beaks and can become aggressive if feeling threatened. Fair play too, as this is their territory to defend. Keep a respectful distance and let the naturally inquisitive critters make the choice if they want to join you for a paddle in the shallows.
The Boulders Beach colony is also showing a little good news. The 2026 annual census recorded 790 breeding pairs, up from 698 in 2025, with around 2,528 individual penguins counted. The increase is encouraging, although SANParks cautions that one year of growth does not mean the colony has recovered.
For families visiting Cape Town, Boulders Beach is an easy wildlife stop to combine with other Cape Peninsula attractions, and the sheltered swimming beach makes it particularly appealing with younger children.
Where to stay: Tintswalo at Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town is a luxury boutique hotel that’s just a few footsteps away from one of Cape Town’s best swimming beaches and those precious penguins.
Luxuriously appointed in dreamy cream and blue, this beachside beauty boasts generous open-planned lounge spaces, a choice of dining areas opening onto two balconies, and extraordinary view across Boulders Beach.
The divine double-storey villa comprises just a handful of plush marine-themed rooms, each individually decorated, plus a penguin-themed children’s room complete with a TV area and games for littlies. Operating as a bed and breakfast, rates include an incredible breakfast each morning, as well as afternoon snacks. Tintswalo Atlantic, though a half an hour away, is another great option for families looking to explore the coast.
See African penguins at Stony Point, Betty’s Bay
If you’re looking for another place to see African penguins near Cape Town, take the scenic drive along Clarence Drive to Stony Point Nature Reserve at Betty’s Bay. This is the third-largest African penguin breeding colony in the world, and the raised boardwalk lets you get a remarkably close look without wandering into the penguins’ nesting areas.
Stony Point is one of only two mainland breeding colonies of African penguins in South Africa, and the CapeNature reserve has a raised boardwalk running through the colony. From here you can watch the penguins waddling, squabbling, swimming and generally getting on with the important business of being penguins without wandering into their nesting areas.
It’s a particularly good option for families because you can get a close look without the slightly surreal experience of sharing the beach with penguins that you get at Boulders. There are plenty of other birds around the reserve, too, including Cape, Bank and Crowned cormorants, while dassies can often be spotted clambering over the surrounding rocks.
The penguins may look ridiculously huggable, but resist the urge. Visitors are asked to stay on the boardwalk, give the birds plenty of space and never touch, feed or chase them. The reserve is also working on improved visitor-control and predator fencing as visitor numbers grow.
See African Penguins at SANCCOB, Cape Town
At Cape Town’s SANCCOB, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, more than 2,500 injured Cape penguins and sea birds are rescued and rehabilitated every year. The hard-working team at SANCCOB provides a 24/7 rescue service for sick and injured seabirds, responds to oil spill disasters along the coastline and saves abandoned penguin eggs and chicks to hatch and raise for subsequent release back into the wild.
SANCCOB in Cape Town offers visitors the chance to watch and learn about sea bird conservation, with engaging, educator-hosted tours of the facilities.
The kids watch the staff treating and injecting medicines into the feathered patients, visit the kitchens to see where their food is prepared, see eggs in the nursery and learn a little about some of the reasons the penguins find themselves here and how they are treated and released. They even get hands-on with a taxidermied former penguin that Sugarpuff forms a rather macabre attachment with.
When they learn that African penguins are now classified as Critically Endangered globally, with fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs globally, the kids are desperate to do their bit to help save them, pledging to eat only sustainable seafood and continuing to nix single-use plastics. They also decide to become penguin ‘parents’ via SANCCOB’s adoption program.
Faced with the choice of sponsoring an injured wild penguin, an egg or one of the centre’s ambassador birds that cannot safely be released back into the wild, the kids decide on a wild penguin patient who they name Chidi (for moral philosophy professor Chidi Anagonye of The Good Place), not only because they thought it was the best moral choice… but because the penguin looked like it had stomach cramps (Good Place fans will understand).
Where to stay: While SANCCOB can be reasily reached from Cape Town’s city attractions, we chose to make an oceanside stay of things at Tintswalo Atlantic, a five-star, award-winning boutique lodge perched on a pebbly beach at the foot of Chapman’s Peak in pretty Hout Bay.
Located about 40 minutes from SANCCOB (and just 30 from Boulders Beach) the stunning luxury hotel has only recently reopened after a major refurbishment and rebuild following a fire. Ten island inspired waterfront luxury suites and one two-bedroom suite, which is ideal for families, overlook the roaring Atlantic Ocean, which provides a soothing soundtrack to our stay.
Our gorgeous Lamu suite features African inspired decor in earth colours, a divine wood burning fire place, huge freestanding bath tub and a mammoth balcony where my wildlife loving duo spot a distant whale and a cheeky otter slipping in and out of the rocks nearby.
The food is next level with many memorable, mouth-watering moments courtesy of the kitchen team, whose dedication to locally-sourced and sustainable ingredients deserves a huge thumbs up. When we’re not off enjoying tête-à-têtes with penguins, the kids are happy to stay at the hotel to splash about in the heated pool, sway in the hammocks, hunt for crabs and build towering cairns on the pebbly beach.
See Penguins at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary, Gansbaai
The African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS) was founded by The Dyer Island Conservation Trust to aid the endangered African penguin colonies of Dyer Island in the Overstrand region, around two hours south of Cape Town. The 20-hectare Nature Reserve, situated 8.5-kilometres from Kleinbaai harbour in Gansbaai, has seen the penguin population decline by a staggering 90% in just 30 years.
Purposely built for the rehabilitation of marine birds, this state-of-the-art facility has been designed to rescue, research, and rehabilitate seabirds. The APSS is staffed by a team of passionate conservationists and boasts a fully equipped lab and has a vet on standby to treat injured and orphaned birds as quickly as possible.
The centre is open to the public, free of charge, to assist in education and awareness of the plight of the endangered penguins. While a private tour allowed for a gentle hands on interaction with a penguin, to prevent stress on the birds in rehabilitation, the animals are kept away from visitors but there is live behind the scenes vision of the rehabilitation area, the hospital and the clinic, and there’s a one-way glass overlooking a holding pen for birds in final preparation for release.
Where to stay: Grootbos Private Nature Reserve is an award winning five-star eco paradise and foundation that is a proud partner of AFSS. The family friendly nature reserve, built on a hillside in the smallest yet most diverse of the world’s plant kingdoms, is a thriving example of travel and conservation working together with many programs in place to introduce families to conservation.
From immersive safaris in search of the tiniest of bugs to the Big Marine 5 (whales, sharks, dolphins, seals and African penguins) and, of course, our visit to learn about the penguins African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary, the dedicated naturalist guides at Grootbos engage and introduce our kids to the importance of all creatures to the ecosystem.
Grootbos’ luxurious lodges are uniquely positioned to capture the magic of not only the flora but also incredible views of the ocean. Our Garden Lodge suite is stunning, with a light-filled lounge, separate bedroom and a large wooden deck overlooking hectares of glorious natural flora. Then there’s the insanely good cuisine. Fuelled with fresh organic produce, mostly grown on site, and prepared by an incredible team of culinary superstars, every mouthful is magic.
Cape Town with kids – Need to know before you go
When to visit
Cape Town is a year-round destination. African penguins can be seen throughout the year, although breeding and moulting seasons can change what you see at the colonies.
Language
South Africa has 12 official languages, including isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans and English. English is widely spoken in Cape Town and is commonly used in hotels, restaurants, shops and tourist attractions, so English-speaking visitors should have little trouble getting around.
Currency
The Rand (R)
Power
South Africa uses 230V electricity and Type D, M and N plugs. Australian travellers will generally need a suitable adaptor.
Visa & Passport Requirements
In 2026, Australian citizens do not need a visa for tourism stays of up to 90 days in South Africa. Check your passport validity and entry requirements before travelling, as requirements can change. If you’re travelling with children, make sure you have the required documentation. South African authorities require children under 18 to have a valid passport and may require an unabridged birth certificate or equivalent document showing the parents’ details. If a child is travelling with only one parent, you may also need a parental consent affidavit or relevant court order, along with supporting identification. Check the latest requirements before departure. There is also a new online traveller declaration requirement for people entering or leaving South Africa. The declaration must generally be completed no more than 24 hours before departure from the country you are travelling from.
Health
Cape Town itself is not a malaria area, although malaria is present in parts of South Africa, particularly in the north-east. Health advice can vary depending on your wider itinerary, so check current recommendations with your doctor or a travel health clinic before departure.
Crime
Crime is a genuine consideration when travelling in South Africa. The Australian Government currently advises travellers to exercise a high degree of caution because of the threat of violent crime. In Cape Town, take particular care in city centres, isolated areas and after dark, keep valuables out of sight and avoid walking alone at night. If you’re driving, keep doors locked, windows up and valuables out of sight, and avoid driving after dark where possible.
For airport transfers and getting around Cape Town, plan your route in advance and use reputable transport providers. The Australian Government also advises travellers to stay on major roads where possible and be cautious of detours suggested by GPS.
Updated in 2026
An award-winning travel writer and photographer, Aleney de Winter was fresh from school when she first set off to explore the far reaches of Australia with a two-man tent and a beaten-up Kingswood for company. Three decades, and two kids later, and she's still on the go, with her itchy-footed offspring in tow. 