619 252 South Africans have participated in the annual Parks Week opportunities since it was founded 17 years ago; this year, Augrabies Falls National Park will be opening the highly-anticipated week.
South Africa (05 September 2022) – There is only one week left until the start of SANParks annual “Parks Week”. This year, Parks Week, also commonly known as “Free Week”, is happening from the 11th to the 16th of September 2022. This will be the 17th annual SA National Parks Week.
Since its inception in 2006, National Parks Week, under the theme ‘Know Your National Parks, has seen an influx of over 619,252-day visitors in all participating parks. SANParks Acting Chief Executive Officer, Hapiloe Sello says that the idea of a national parks focus week is a worldwide campaign.
“The week was established in a bid to cultivate a sense of pride in South Africa’s natural, cultural and historical heritage, protected by the national parks system.”
The week grants free access to most of the 22 national parks for day visitors, especially people from the local communities. It should be noted that free access to parks does not include free access to accommodation facilities and other tourist activities. Some of the parks will be extending the week to include the weekend.
“SA National Parks week is aimed at linking the South African national parks system to the 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.” – Reynold Thakhuli, SANParks General Manager: Media, PR & Stakeholder Relations
SA National Parks Week has proved to be a successful campaign in terms of education and awareness of conservation issues.
“The survival of the South African national parks system and our natural and cultural heritage lies in the people of South Africa. Environmental education and protection is the responsibility of everyone, not just a privileged few,” said Sello.
“This initiative aims to give the public an understanding of the role that SANParks plays as custodian of the country’s natural heritage. If we are to create a sense of ownership of the natural heritage of South Africa in all South Africans, then all South Africans must be able to have access to such. We especially want our young people to take advantage of this opportunity because this heritage will be under their protection in the near future,” concluded Sello.
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 will not include accommodation and commercial activities in the park such as guided safaris in vehicles or guided walks, etc and Kruger, Addo Elephant, Augrabies, Agulhas, Table Mountain and |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park will only have free access until Friday 16 September. Namaqua National Park and Boulders Penguin Colony, and the Cableway in Table Mountain National Park are not included in the free access.
Thakhuli said, “every year, SANParks aims to increase the number of citizens that 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.”
You can find out which parks will be open to the public for parks week here. Which park would you like to visit most?
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