Major upgrades for park’s 16th birthday

Receiving a R50-million present for your sweet 16th birthday is something that doesn’t happen every day. SANParks has announced that visitors to Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) have something to celebrate. A number of infrastructure upgrades are scheduled for this iconic park in concurrence with this anniversary. The next 18 months will see improvements to various sections of the park to enhance the visitor experience. It is important to ensure that the park remains a destination of choice for local and international visitors for years to come,” says Paddy Gordon, park manager.

Did you know? The Cape of Good Hope received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for the constant positive feedback of travellers visiting the area, an award which is based on quality reviews and opinions. Upgrades are planned for Cape Point, Boulders penguin colony and Tokai.

The traffic flow at the Cape Point entrance gate will be addressed and a section of the road will be rehabilitated. The ageing waterline and sewerage system will be upgraded to cope with the influx of tourists to the area. Traffic flow at the Boulders penguin colony will be improved, with people leaving the facility through the visitor centre to the exit, instead of approaching incoming traffic. The boardwalk through this section of the park will also be changed. “The current one has been there for more than 10 years and is in need of an upgrade,” says Gordon. The Tokai Precinct is not only an extremely popular recreational area for those enjoying outdoor activities such as mountain biking, horse riding and picnics, but is also the park’s headquarters. The road will be upgraded and the new offices will be constructed according to green building principles. The historic Tokai Manor will remain, but will house a restaurant with tea garden and/or gallery. TMNP receives well over two-million visitors a year, with more than half of them using the major tourism pay-point entrances to the park. These include Cape Point, Boulders penguin colony and the cableway. The upgrades will contribute to job creation in Cape Town. Over the past 16 years, TMNP has already injected more than R275 million into employment programmes implemented in the area.