South African National Parks (SANParks), in partnership with TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa and First National Bank (FNB), is hosting the 17th annual South African National Parks Week, which kicked off on Monday, September 12. The initiative gives South Africans free access to a large selection of national parks for the week running from September 12 - 18, 2022.
“SA National Parks week is aimed at linking the South African national parks system with communities, and to showcase the best of our country’s national parks. During the week, all South African citizens are allowed to enter most national parks for free for a day visit,” says Reynold Thakhuli, SANParks General Manager: Media, PR & Stakeholder Relations.
“The week is meant to cultivate a sense of pride in South Africa’s natural, cultural and historical heritage, protected by the national parks system which is the basis for the established theme ‘Know Your National Parks’. It’s important for South Africans to visit and know the importance of national parks.”
This year, SANParks will open the week in Augrabies Falls National Park.
The feature element of this campaign is the free access granted to all South African day visitors carrying their official identity documents. Young persons under the age of 16 will be allowed free access without proof of identity.
The free access to the parks does not include accommodation and commercial activities in the parks such as guided safaris in vehicles or guided walks, etc.
Kruger, Addo Elephant, Augrabies, Agulhas, Table Mountain and Richtersveld Transfrontier Park will only have free access until Friday, September 16. Namaqua National Park, Boulders Penguin Colony and the Cableway in Table Mountain National Park are not included in the free access.
“Every year, SANParks aims to increase the number of citizens who are granted free access to national parks during this time. 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 which halted travel around the world,” adds Thakhuli.
SANParks encourages all South Africans, and 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,” concludes Thakhuli.
Click here to visit the SanParks website for more information.
Follow #SANationalParksWeek and #LiveYourWild on social media to join in the fun.