SANParks have announced that South Africans will be given free access to almost all of their 21 parks during South African National Parks week. The week is usually held in September but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 alert level two regulations, which restricted the number of people allowed in public spaces, said SANParks ceo, Fundisile Mketeni.
South African citizens will get free access to all but two national parks from the 16th to the 20th of November 2020. Boulders Penguin Colony is the only section of Table Mountain National Park to which the public will not be granted free access, the rest of the park will be open to South African citizens free of charge. The Namaqua National Park will also not be open free of charge.
The following parks will be open to the public free of charge:
Addo Elephant Park
Augrabies Falls National Park
Bonteboek National Park
Camdeboo National Park
Garden Route National Park
Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Karoo National Park
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Kruger National Park
Mapungubwe National Park
Marakele National Park
Mokala National Park
Mountain Zebra National Park
Table Mountain National Park (Free entry to Boulders Penguin Colony is excluded)
Tankwa Karoo National Park
West Coast National Park
Ai – Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
This initiative was launched to encourage South Africans to visit our national parks more often. All you need to do is pitch up at the gate of your preferred national park with your South African ID document, and you will be granted free access to the abovementioned parks. The best place to see the blooming spring flowers is the Namaqua National Park, unfortunately this park will not be open free of charge during SANParks week. Luckily you can also see the blooming spring flowers at the West Coast National Park, Tankwa Karoo National Park and Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, all of which are open to the public free of charge during SANParks week. So now we have no excuses. Let’s get out there and appreciate our unique natural environment during the 2020 SANParks week.
