In 1926, The parliament decided to pass a bill according to which all the natural reserves of the country was officially approved to become a national park, the South African National Parks Organization (SANParks). It includes all the individual parks within the SANParks framework.

South African National Parks (SANParks) is now the leading conservation authority in all of the national parks around South Africa. It is in charge of a vast area as large as 3,751,113 hectares of protected lands in 20 national parks.

During the first decade of democracy, SANParks  organization has focused on making all the national parks of the country more accessible to tourists in order to ensure conservation remains a viable contributor to social and economic development in rural areas.  The governmental Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism supports SANParks. It has increased the area of land under SANParks protection by 360 000 hectares in1994.

What South African National Parks Organization Does

It manages a system of parks that represents the indigenous fauna, flora, landscapes and associated cultural heritage of South Africa. These national parks are: Groenkloof, Kruger, Table Mountain, Marakele, Golden Gate, Camdeboo, Mountain Zebra, Addo Elephant, Garden Route National Park (Tsitsikamma, Knysna, & Wilderness), Bontebok, Agulhas, West Coast, Karoo, Namaqua, |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld, Augrabies, Kgalagadi, Mapungubwe, Tankwa Karoo and Mokala.

The business of SANParks is conserving the biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources within the national parks under its management.

SANParks’ Travel Services

Most of the national parks in South Africa have overnight tourist facilities, with a large variety of accommodation in arid, coastal, mountain and bushveld habitats.  The tourism services of SANParks found at these facilities are:

• Conferencing, Cell Phone Reception, Electricity, Information Centers, Internet Cafés – KNP (Skukuza and Berg-en-Dal), Laundry, Medical Services, Picnic, Petrol/Diesel available in all parks, Public Telephones, Restaurant, Self-Catering, Shops, Swimming Pools at a number of park and camps.

Possible Activities at SANParks

There are a whole range of various activities travelers could be involved in depending on their interests. They are:

• Adventure Activities (River Rafting, Bungi, Mountain Biking, etc), Beach Access, Birding, Canoeing, Fishing, Flower Season, Game Watching, Golf, Guided Game Drives (Night and Day) and Guided Walks, Hikes, Walks and Trails, Historical Exhibits, Horse Riding, Kruger National Park Trails, Motorcycling, Mountain Bike Trails, Otter Trail, Picnic Sites, Restaurants & Cafeterias, Sailing, Scenic Landmarks, Shopping, Snooker, Television, Tennis, Whale Watching

Pre & Post Conferencing Services

There are a comprehensive set of facilities available at several parks within SANParks. The infrastructure provided at these parks are adequate to handle small and large groups. The services found at these parks are from arranging the venue, to the logistical arrangements & organizing tailored pre and post conference activities.

SANParks Accommodation Reservation Services

Some of the parks within SANParks have got accommodation facilities. Reservation of  accommodation at South African National Parks is possible in the following forms:

• Online
• by Email
• by phone
• by fax
• by snail mail
• in person

Conservation Measures by South African National Parks Organization

SANParks manages national parks for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. In order to achieve this goal, the Conservation Services Department provides SANParks with the services required. These services are:

• Park planning & development
• Transfrontier conservation
• Veterinary wildlife services
• Air services
• Scientific services, which is divided into these sections:
  • Savanna Ecosystems Research Unit
  • Arid Ecosystems Research Unit
  • Garden Route: Scientific Services
  • Cape Research Center

To protect South African natural heritage, SANParks has focused on creating awareness among people about the importance of conservation in various forms. They teach the local people that the natural and cultural heritage of the parks should be the pride and joy of everyone.  Talking to people is now considered a core business for SANParks,which is just as important as tourism and conservation.

The Mission & Vision of SANPark’s Conservation Specialists

The vision of the SANParks is to connect to the society.

These specialists go among the local people and struggle to achieve their mission. They aim at developing, managing and promoting a system of national parks that represents the biodiversity and heritage assets by applying best practice, environmental justice, benefit sharing and sustainable use.

The experts take the following steps to gain the results:

1. Community-based Conservation: By bringing awareness among the people about the importance of parks and conservation, they are inviting local people to discuss and cooperate in future policies.
2. Environmental Education: By bringing young people into the parks and educating them about the wildlife and their living environments, the experts accomplish their goals within an ambiance where children can see, hear and smell the nature.
3. Cultural Heritage: The conservation and management of cultural heritage (rock art, Iron Age sites, traditional sacred grounds or an old colonial building) are equal counterparts of nature conservation. The experts at SANParks make use of the cultural heritage in reviving indigenous knowledge and oral history.

The Managing Team of South African National Parks Organization

The Organization’s board of directors  is the highest decision making body of SANParks appointed by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. Within the organizational chart, the executive directors and heads of departments handle the day-to-day management of the organization.