Is it a good idea to self-drive to Kruger and back?

Where are you arriving from? Are you getting off a long overnight flight and proposing to drive over 4 hours on unknown roads (driving on the left), while jet lagged?

Apart from that, when driving in SA, you need to be very aware of security -doors locked immediately on getting into the car, windows up at all times, be vigilant about who’s around you, never leave anything visible in the car and don’t leave anything of value in the car at all. There is a lot of violent crime, but being careful and sensible (ie not driving into dodgy areas) should keep you safe. That applies to Johannesburg as well as the country areas, probably even more to the urban areas. Just remember you’re not in Kansas anymore and have fun, it’s a fantastic adventure.

If you are flying from Seattle and arriving around 11AM, it looks like you will have been traveling for ~30 hrs. and your body clock will think it's 3AM.

How accustomed are you to driving on the 'wrong' side of the road, when you body thinks it should be asleep?

google estimates the travel time at between 4hrs to 5.25 hrs.

If the above describes what your travels will be like, carjacking might not be the greatest hazard you will confront between the airport and the Park.

I did the drive in July of 2022 except for picking up the car in town after we had spent a few days in Joburg getting over the jet lag. We drove through Joburg in morning traffic and once on the outskirts it was all easy driving on good roads most of which had light traffic. We detoured to do parts of the Panoramic route and ended up at the Protea hotel just outside the gates of Kruger just after dark.

This allowed us to line up at the entrance gate before it opened the next morning and we drove into the park at first light. Overall, the roads from Joburg to Kruger were fine unlike some of the smaller roads heading into Eswatini, Lesotho and Saint Lucia

Thanks for the replies so far! Our route will be Seattle – Istanbul – Joburg, with a 13-hour layover in Istanbul before heading to South Africa. We’ve traveled extensively and are comfortable driving on either side of the road. Two of us will take turns driving, so we think fatigue should be manageable.

Our main concern is carjacking or unknowingly driving through risky areas on the way from the airport to the park.

I personally wouldn't want to be driving such long distances after such lengthy travel legs, even if I was flying in business class. Do take care if you go this route. I hope you have an easier time with jetlag than I do