Kruger National Park roads foreman Aretha Molekwa. Picture: Supplied
The sound of a grader levelling the roads, sprucing up thatch-roofed bungalows to more modern architecture and the unveiling of a new guest house to accommodate tourists are part of the multimillion-rand plan by the SA National Parks (SANParks) to revamp the country’s biggest bushveld landscape – the Kruger National Park (KNP).
As if the wild animals understand the importance of the work being carried out in their habitat – lions, elephants, hyenas, leopards and rhinos – keep their distance from machines and the working KNP staff.
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Lashed by heavy rains last year, the northern, central and eastern parts of the KNP experienced overflowing rivers and damaged roads – prompting the cutting off of access to some camps.
The temporary closure of some remote camps and the evacuation of staff to nearby safer camps also led to the main road between Skukuza and Lower Sabie being closed.
With a stream of tourists continuing to descend on Kruger, the KNP management has been hard at work with various infrastructure projects currently underway – from the north Pafuri Gate, all the way to the south.
Having received funding from the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment, the KNP has set aside R75 million for Skukuza upgrades, with the budget for building each bungalow set at R1.5 million.
“The upkeep of the infrastructure, built a fairly long time ago, is critical in terms of keeping up with the times,” said KNP programme manager for infrastructure Bharat Gulab.
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Water and sewerage infrastructure is also critical – as well as the maintenance of the roads.
“If we do not maintain roads, they start deteriorating and collapse in some areas, with potholes occurring.”
While tourists have been accustomed to the predominantly thatched rondavel units, giving them a distinctly earthly and musty smell, especially when the roof is wet from the rain, Gulab said KNP had to come up with a new innovation.
“The roof structure has now changed to prevent damage. With baboons and other animals causing some damage to the thatched roof, we want to prevent continuously spending money on maintenance.
“The thatch is also susceptible to burning.
“We are now using a Harvey thatch tile, replacing the predominantly thatched units – choosing a blending colour, similar to that of the thatch. The first prototype of upgrades is six units here at Skukuza,” said Gulab.
“We are upgrading tourism units, building new staff accommodation and upgrading a few gates, serving as entrances to the park. Then there are ongoing civil and roads infrastructure projects,” he said.
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Aretha Molekwa, KNP roads foreman, said: “It is always important to ensure that our roads are in a good condition to ensure smooth driving for guest during game viewing.
“We always ensure that our roads are in a good condition.”
Molekwa’s team has construct ed new bridges and detours for motorists in the south of the KNP – hardest hit by the 2023 floods, which led to the collapse of the main road.
“On this particular road, we had three sections that were completely cut off – meaning there was no access between Kruger and the Lower Sabie on this road.
“While other roads were affected, this area was where most of the damage occurred,” she said, pointing to a huge hole caused during the floods.
“While we have constructed detours, SANParks is currently in a process of appointing construction companies to fully repair the original main road.”
SANParks spokesperson JP Louw said the project signified management’s “ability and affirmed the fact that our approach to national parks is proper.
It is not just about building roads and upgrading facilities, but about reinforcing the notion of the South African pride – on what our natural and cultural heritage represent,” he said.
A newly built guesthouse overlooking the Sabie River has become another attraction.
“In revamping the new guesthouse we took a few things into consideration, including doing a comparison with what our competitors are offering outside the park,” said Grant Grootboom, Skukuza rest camp’s hospitality services manager.
“If you look at our history here at KNP, our accommodation was very basic. Now, the look and feel make it possible to cater for the entire tourism market.”
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