The Pilanesberg National Park exists within the transition zone between the dry Kalahari and wetter Lowveld regions, commonly referred to as “Bushveld”.

Unlike any other large park, unique overlaps of mammals, birds and vegetation occur within this transition zone. Springbok, brown hyena, the red eyed bulbul, and camel thorn trees usually found in arid areas cohabit with moist-area-limited impala, black-eyed bulbul and Cape chestnut trees.

The crater of a long extinct volcano is the setting of Pilanesberg Game Reserve, a fascinating alkaline complex produced by volcanic eruptions some 1,300 million years ago.

The Park has survived ages of erosion and stands high above the surrounding bushveld plains, rating it high amongst the world’s outstanding geological phenomena. Pilanesberg Game Reserve is one of the largest volcanic complexes of its kind with its rare rock types and structure making it a unique geological feature. The area is fringed by three concentric ridges or rings of hills, showcasing a formation that rises from the surrounding plains like a bubble. The structure of the park is termed the Pilanesberg Game Reserve Alkaline Ring Complex. Ancient, even by geological time scales, this extinct volcano is the most perfect example of an alkaline ring complex. A number of rare (but not necessarily economically important) minerals occur in the Park.