Once again, for the 15th National Parks Week, SA National Parks is opening all its parks – except for Boulders penguin colony, the Table Mountain cableway and Namaqua National Park – for free 16-20 November to South Africans with a valid ID. In some Cape parks, that will extend to 22 November.

“It is important for South Africans to visit and know the importance of national parks,” SANParks said in a statement. “They act as spaces to practice sustainable conservation, as spaces that preserve and celebrate our culture and heritage, and we now see national parks playing the critical role of empowering communities living adjacent to parks through job creation and we continue to explore ways of creating business opportunities particularly for small business owners.”

Included are all national parks managed by SANParks, with the exception of Boulders Penguin Colony and the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway in Table Mountain National Park, and Namaqua National Park, SANParks said. As an added bonus parks in the Cape Region (Agulhas, Bontebok, Table Mountain, Tankwa Karoo and West Coast national parks) will be open an extra two days.

The weeklong event is done in partnership with First National Bank and Total South Africa.

What to do in our Cape Region Parks:

  • Agulhas National Park – Come and explore the Southern Most Tip of Africa boasting magnificent views, and take a walk along the shore to view a graveyard of shipwrecks along the Agulhas coastline.
  • Bontebok National Park – One of the smallest parks managed by SANParks offers you sightings of a countless Bontebok roaming around, canoeing along the Breede River Dam, and endless hiking trails to explore and embrace what nature has to offer.
  • Tankwa Karoo National Park – Experience the quietness and most scenic 4×4 routes this park has to offer.
  • Table Mountain National Park – Enjoy a braai at one of our many braai spots such as Tokai Forest, Newlands, Silvermine and Oudekraal, and indulge in the essence of the Cape of Goodhope “Where two ocean meet” and the many activities it has to offer.
  • West Coast National Park – Just inland from the secluded harbour of Saldana Bay, and only 2 hour’s drive from Cape Town’s City Centre, one finds the azure waters of the Langebaan Lagoon, the focal point of West Coast National Park.

Due to COVID-19, all the parks will be operating under capacity constraints, and people will be allowed entry on a first come first served basis.


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