As South Africa continues to celebrate Tourism Month, South African National Parks (SANParks), in partnership with TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa and First National Bank (FNB), announced that the 17th annual South African National Parks Week will kick off next week.
South African National Parks Week allows South Africans free access to the national parks from September 12-18.
SANParks revealed that it will open the week in Augrabies Falls National Park this year.
According to SANParks general manager for media, PR and stakeholder relations, Reynold Thakhuli, South African National Parks Week is aimed at linking the South African national parks system to communities while showcasing the best of the country’s national parks.
“During this week all South African citizens are allowed to enter most national parks for free for a day visit. It’s important for South Africans to visit and know the importance of national parks,” said Thakhuli.
He said that the feature element of this campaign is the free access granted to all South African day visitors carrying their official identity documents. Thakhuli also said that young people under the age of 16 will be allowed free access without proof of identity.
According to Thakhuli, the free access to the parks will not include accommodation and commercial activities in the park such as guided safaris in vehicles or guided walks.
He said that Kruger, Addo Elephant, Augrabies, Agulhas, Table Mountain and |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park will only have free access until Friday, September 16 while Namaqua National Park and Boulders Penguin Colony, and the cableway in Table Mountain National Park are not included in the free access.
“Since we started the programme in 2006, some 619 252 South Africans have been afforded the opportunity to enter national parks, and we want to see these numbers grow, especially after the last two years [during] which [the pandemic] halted travel around the world,” said Thakhuli.
SANParks has called on all South Africans, especially the youth, to diarise these dates and plan a visit to a national park nearby.
“The survival of the South African national parks system and our natural and cultural heritage lies in the people of South Africa,” said Thakhuli.