“Free access to National Parks inspires people to take pride in Cultural Heritage while spending time with nature,” says Creecy

MEDIA STATEMENT
 

15 September 2023

South Africans are urged to take advantage of the free access granted to the country’s National Parks during SA National Parks Week which runs from 16 - 24 September 2023.

“National Parks Week is an ideal opportunity for us to introduce the majesty and beauty of the country’s national parks to the people, especially to communities who seldom get to experience and enjoy these areas of conservation, cultural heritage and biological diversity, right on their doorstep,” said Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Barbara Creecy. 

The free access offered through the South African National Parks (SANParks) system is aimed to inspire people to take pride in the country’s cultural heritage while spending time in and with nature. Elderly people who have lived all their lives next to a National Park without ever seeing what is on the other side of the fence must be taken in their thousands to go and visit their neighbouring National Parks.
SANParks will again host pupils, pensioners, persons with disabilities and many others. In order to qualify for free entry, all South Africans are encouraged to carry their identity documents; children below the age of 16 will not be required to provide identification.

“Since the inception of the South African National Parks Week in 2006, more than 619 292 South Africans, who may not otherwise had an opportunity to visit a national park, have participated,” said Creecy.

I am pleased to note that National Parks Week has gripped the imagination of some of our provincial conservation authorities, with the Limpopo Tourism Agency and North West Tourism and Parks Board joining to host Mahala Week where select game reserves in the provinces are offering free access as well.
Conservation and the protection of our country’s rich biodiversity is a commitment we cannot shy away from, especially as we work towards expanding our conservation estate to meet international commitments and work to protect our natural world in a sustainable way for current and future generations, thus, the importance of popularising our national and provincial parks. 
 
Under the established theme Know Your National Parks – this year’s SA National Parks Week campaign kicks off in the Kruger National Park.  This world-renowned Park is not only South Africa’s first national park but is also the largest spanning 19 458 square kilometres.  The Kruger is the sixth-largest national park in Africa and not only boasts the iconic Big Five alongside a wide variety of wildlife and plants but is also home to unique landscapes and biomes. SANParks is among our institutions that is reliant on revenue generated from its tourism offerings and other activities.

Tourism is an important part of our country’s economy and contributes significantly to GDP and job creation.  As a preferred tourist destination, we should not lose sight of the importance of continuing to find innovative ways to continue to grow this sector. Key to this remains the partnerships between government, communities and the private sector. It is thus important to acknowledge the much needed assistance from the National Department of Tourism, which has supported several infrastructure projects in our national parks.

This includes the installation of a solar PV array with 2 640 PV module and 33 inverters that connects directly into the Kruger National Park’s electricity grid at a nearby Eskom substation in the Skukuza main camp. I am told that this system has an installed capacity of 844.8kWp (kilowatt peak) and provides approximately one quarter of the daytime electricity demand for the entire Skukuza rest camp and administrative operations. Since commissioning of the system in May 2018, Skukuza has reduced its electricity bill with an average of R136 000 per month, which translates to a saving of more than R8 million over the past five years.

This is a positive step towards greater cooperation between government departments and institutions and to our efforts to rebuild and rethink the ways in which we finance and manage our protected areas. Such partnerships can and will ensure the future sustainability of nature-based tourism and its longer-term employment potential.

Because the majority of our national parks are situated in rural areas they are able to make use of goods and services offered by adjacent and nearby communities.  It is because of this that SANParks spent more than R550 million procuring services from SMMEs in the past year.  
R273 million has been spent on 863 SMMEs through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), creating more than 5 364 full-time equivalent work opportunities in communities where there is little other formal employment. Every day, an average of 7 500 individuals employed by the EPWP enter our national parks and do crucial work such as land rehabilitation, cleaning of beaches, support of rangers and infrastructure maintenance.

In closing, I would like to call eNCA reporter, Theodore Mashele, to join me.  At the launch of SA National Parks Week at Augrabies National Park in the Northern Cape last year, I invited members of the media in attendance to submit an exceptional story about our national parks. These entries were judged by the SANParks Board and I am honoured to say that Theodore Mashele has won an all-expenses paid trip to a national park of his choice, with a partner.  

Members of the media, this year is no different, I once again invite you all to help us tell some of the remarkable stories found in our national parks. The competition is open from today (15 September 2023) and will close at the end of September this year.  
As I officially open National Park Week 2023, I want to quote former President Nelson Mandela, who said: 
“I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses. We must never forget that it is our duty to protect this environment.”
I Thank you.

Note to editors

The free access to the parks does not include accommodation and commercial activities in the park such as guided safaris in vehicles or guided walks, etc. It must be noted that the Namaqua National Park, the Boulders Penguin Colony and the Cableway in Table Mountain National Park also do not form part of the National Parks Week free access programme.

For media queries contact Peter Mbelengwa on 082 611 8197