South African National Parks (SANParks) is the body responsible for managing South Africa's
national park
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...
s. SANParks was formed in 1926, and currently manages 19 parks consisting of , over 3% of the total area of South Africa.
Many parks offer a variety of accommodations. The best known park is
Kruger National Park, which is also the oldest (proclaimed in 1898), and the largest, at nearly . Kruger National Park and
Table Mountain National Park
Table Mountain National Park, previously known as the Cape Peninsula National Park, is a national park in Cape Town, South Africa, proclaimed on 29 May 1998, for the purpose of protecting the natural environment of the Table Mountain Chain, an ...
are two of South Africa's most visited tourist attractions.
Though not designated as National Parks, other
protected areas exist, such as game and nature reserves.
List of parks administered by SANParks
The following are designated as National Parks of South Africa:
Location of national parks
See also
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Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is a governmental organisation responsible for maintaining wildlife conservation areas and biodiversity in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Their headquarters is in Queen Elizabeth Park situated on the northern slopes of ...
– The body responsible for maintaining wilderness areas and public nature reserves in
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is loca ...
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Eastern Cape Parks
Eastern Cape Parks are the national parks, marine protected areas, nature reserves and other nature conservation areas in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) is the governmental organisation resp ...
– The body responsible for maintaining wilderness areas and public nature reserves in the
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha.
The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...
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– The government department responsible for maintaining wilderness areas and public nature reserves in
Gauteng
Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'.
Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only ...
.
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Mpumalanga Parks Board
The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) Board (formerly Mpumalanga Parks Board) is a governmental organisation responsible for maintaining wilderness areas and public nature reserves in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.
Parks managed by t ...
– The body responsible for maintaining wilderness areas and public nature reserves in
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga () is a province of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. ...
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North West Parks and Tourism Board – The body responsible for maintaining wilderness areas and public nature reserves in the
North West
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Cape Nature – The body responsible for maintaining wilderness areas and public nature reserves in the
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 202 ...
Notes
References
External links
South African National ParksInterview with Head, Business Development, South African National Parks
{{authority control
National park administrators
Organizations established in 1926
Parks
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. ...
Lists of tourist attractions in South Africa
1926 establishments in South Africa
Lists of national parks