Travel Apps for Africa

The wealth of choice available these days when it comes to mobile apps is extraordinary — often overwhelmingly so. Which one should you download? Which works best offline? Which is actually worth the money?

These are exactly the questions worth answering before you set off on safari. Imagine paying for a birding field guide app only to discover it requires an internet connection to work — and there simply isn't a great deal of internet available in the African bushveld. That would be money wasted.

Let's be honest: the app stores offer hundreds of thousands of options, and it's genuinely difficult to know which reviews are trustworthy and which apps will actually work once you're off the grid in Africa. Below is our ever-growing selection of what we consider the best tools for travelling in and around this continent.

Our Favourite Travel Apps for Africa

Navigation, Weather, Wildlife and Everything Else You Need Offline

Navigation Apps for Africa

The obvious starting point is Google Maps, available on Android, iOS and as a web app. It works beautifully in cities and towns with decent 3G/4G coverage, but its offline capability is more limited than it first appears — offline maps must be downloaded in advance, only cover driving navigation in many regions, and the download areas rarely stretch far enough for a multi-day rural journey.

For genuinely reliable offline navigation, our top recommendation is now Organic Maps — a free, open-source app built on OpenStreetMap data that works entirely offline for driving, walking and cycling navigation, with no internet connection required once your maps are downloaded. It's become the go-to choice for travellers, NGOs and field workers operating in areas with poor connectivity, Africa very much included. Simply download your country or region maps while you still have Wi-Fi, and you're set for the rest of your trip.

HERE WeGo remains a solid alternative, particularly for driving navigation, and is worth having as a backup.

So what do we recommend? HERE WeGo as your primary offline navigation app, with Google Maps kept installed for city use and business search.

Weather Apps for Africa

Keep it simple: your phone's built-in weather app, or Google Weather, will generally serve you well whenever you have an internet connection. Remember to set your data settings to Wi-Fi only to avoid unwanted roaming charges while checking the forecast.

AccuWeather is a solid alternative with a good long-range forecast if you'd like a second opinion.

Bird Apps for Africa

There are two excellent options here: Roberts Multimedia Birds and Sasol eBirds. Both cover the vast majority of species found in Southern Africa and, importantly, both work fully offline once downloaded. Each comes with a substantial download (185MB and up), so it's best to download these before you leave home or while connected to free Wi-Fi.

Our personal favourite between the two is Sasol eBirds, though both are highly rated and it really comes down to personal preference — or, of course, you could always bring a proper bird book, which never needs charging.

Unfortunately, despite searching, we still haven't found an app of the same standard covering Central and East African bird species. As soon as we do, we'll add it here.

Roberts Multimedia Birds:

• iOS: Roberts Multimedia Birds
• Android: Roberts Multimedia Birds

Sasol eBirds:

• iOS: Sasol eBirds
• Android: Sasol eBirds

We recommend: A good bird book as your reliable backup, with Sasol eBirds as our app of choice.

Mammal Apps for Africa

There isn't a huge choice of dedicated mammal guide apps, but here are the two best options for Southern Africa (we're still searching for an equivalent covering East Africa):

Sasol Field Guide Mammals (with in-app purchases):

• Android: Sasol Field Guide Mammals
• iOS: Sasol Field Guide Mammals

Mammals of Southern Africa (upfront cost):

• Android: Mammals of Southern Africa
• iOS: Mammals of Southern Africa

Photographic Apps

The standard camera apps built into most modern smartphones are more than good enough for capturing scenery, group photos, panoramas and video — some devices simply handle it better than others.

Will a smartphone ever replace a proper DSLR or mirrorless camera for serious wildlife photography? In our view, no — see our full guide to Photography On Safari for more on that.

Our favourite apps for editing photos taken on a smartphone:

• Instagram (Android and iOS)
• Snapseed (Android and iOS) — our top pick
• Adobe Lightroom Mobile (Android and iOS)
• VSCO (Android and iOS)

Currency Apps

XE.com remains one of the best currency conversion apps around, and we use it daily.

Note: Currency apps display the true market exchange rate — this is NOT the rate you'll actually be charged at banks or currency exchange bureaux across Africa, who add their own fees and commission. Always shop around for the best rate before parting with your hard-earned cash.

Translation Apps

Google Translate is our clear recommendation. Download the language packs you need before you leave home, and its offline mode handles text translation without any internet connection at all. Its camera translation feature — instantly translating signs, menus and documents by simply pointing your phone at them — is genuinely useful when travelling through Francophone or Portuguese-speaking African countries in particular.

Staying Connected: eSIMs

One of the biggest changes to affect African travel in recent years has been the rise of eSIM technology. Rather than hunting for a local SIM card on arrival, apps and providers such as Airalo, Saily and Holafly let you purchase and activate a data plan for your destination country before you even leave home — often at a fraction of the cost of international roaming. Well worth exploring if your phone supports eSIM.

Reading Apps and Devices

There are plenty of excellent reading apps for smartphones and tablets, but on safari — where you might go several days without access to a charger — these will drain your battery in a matter of hours.

Our recommendation is a dedicated e-book reader, such as a Kindle or Kobo, whose battery will comfortably last two to three weeks between charges.

Coming Soon

We're continuing to expand this guide — look out for dedicated sections on exploring apps, eating-out apps, stargazing apps, medical help apps and flight apps in the near future.

Stay Connected, Stay Prepared

The right apps, downloaded and tested before you leave home, make a real difference to how smoothly your African safari runs — especially in the more remote destinations we love sending our clients to. If you have questions about connectivity for a specific destination on your itinerary, just ask — we know these regions personally and are always happy to help you prepare.