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The moment has arrived for South Africans to appreciate the splendour of South Africa’s national parks, for free!
South African National Parks (SANParks) is now celebrating the 16th annual SA National Parks Week in collaboration with Total Energies and FNB. The SA National Parks Week officially began on Monday, 22 November 2021, and will end on Sunday, 28 November 2021.
The free access, according to SANParks, will be available until Friday, November 26th, 2021, for the following national parks:
- Addo
- Kgalagadi
- Kruger
- The Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park.
SANParks Acting Chief Executive Officer, Luthando Dziba explains, “SA National Parks Week is an annual campaign that gives all South African citizens the opportunity to enter most of the parks managed by SANParks for free, with the exclusion of Boulders section at Table Mountain National Park, as well as accommodation facilities and tourist activities.”
Dziba highlighted, “The week is meant to cultivate a sense of pride in South Africa’s natural, cultural and historical heritage and a deeper appreciation of biodiversity. It is important for South Africans to visit and know the importance of national parks.”
According to SANParks, the need for national parks to be relevant is growing, especially among young people and communities living near parks.
Dziba said that “through our Socio-Economic Transformation programmes and our Expanded Public Works Programme, we work closely with communities living adjacent to national parks in a quest to be more inclusive in our management of protected areas. This inclusivity encompasses providing access to parks for cultural use as well as exposing young people to the different career options in conservation and tourism.”
According to SANParks, since the initiative began in 2006, 591 234 South Africans have had the opportunity to visit national parks.
SANParks aspires to increase the number of individuals who have free access to national parks every year. Due to the pandemic, however, the number of free access guests that the parks can accommodate will be limited, and additional visitor management measures will be implemented to regulate visitor volumes.
Be sure to visit a national park this year for free during SA National Parks Week. Go and experience what your country offers and do your part by getting to know your national parks.
#LiveYourWild and #SANationalParksWeek
For additional information, go to www.sanparks.org
Will you take advantage of this offer and enjoy the natural beauty of South Africa’s national parks?
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