Increased visits to national parks during SANParks Week

The South African National Parks (SANParks) saw thousands of South Africans visiting the parks during the “mahala” SANParks Week. A total of 113 032 visitors visited the parks during the week, from September 8 to 15. This shows a 52,6 per cent increase compared to last year’s 74 086. SANParks CEO, Fundisile Mketeni, said the objective of the week was to give all South Africans a chance to enjoy and experience the beauty of the National Parks. “It was good to see smaller parks such as West Coast and Bontebok National Park having an increase in their numbers, compared to previous years. SANParks Week aims to create a culture of pride for all South Africans in their relationship with the country’s natural, cultural and historical heritage. When people start to take pride in the national parks, then we believe that they will start to understand the importance of conservation,” said Mketeni. Read: Enjoy nature firsthand at SANParks The feature element of this campaign is the free access granted to all South African day visitors carrying their official identity documents. Since its inception in 2006, SANParks Week has seen an influx of 551 393 day visitors in all participating parks. “These numbers are encouraging and tell us that more people are taking advantage of this free week at our national parks,” said Mketeni. All of the parks managed by SANParks, excluding Namaqua and Boulders at Table Mountain National Park, participated in the initiative to give the public an understanding of the role that SANParks plays as custodian of the country’s natural heritage. Each park hosted activities during the week which were aimed at educating visitors more about the parks. “We are focused on involving young people and communities, to cultivate knowledge of the importance of conservation and an appreciation for the country’s natural heritage,” added Mketeni. The annual SANParks Week was made possible with support from the First National Bank and Total South Africa. “Without our sponsors this week would not have materialised, and South Africans would not be able to visit our parks free of charge”. Mketeni also thanked all South Africans who took part in this week, especially educators and school groups. “The survival of the South African national parks system and our natural and cultural heritage lies in the people of South Africa,” he concluded.

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