Mababe Gate — Chobe National Park Southern Entry Checkpoint

Mababe Gate sits at the southern boundary of Chobe National Park and is the mandatory entry point for overlanders driving the Savute Channel Road north toward Savute Camp and the Gubatsa Hills. This is where you sort your DWNP park fees, get your vehicle logged, and confirm conditions on the track ahead. The gate staff are generally well-informed about recent wildlife sightings and whether the deeper sand sections are passable. There’s no fuel here, no shop — just the checkpoint, a boom gate, and the beginning of serious Kalahari sand. Elephant traffic through the gate area is routine; don’t be surprised to wait.

Access from the south is via Mababe village on a rough dirt track. 4WD with low range is mandatory beyond the gate. Dry season (May–October) is the window — wet season turns the tracks into traps. Carry enough fuel for the full run to Savute and back; there’s nothing in between.

Southern Savute gate — pay fees, enter the wild.