Public urged to take advantage of the annual Parks Week

South African National Parks is encouraging the public to take advantage of its annual Parks Week Programme taking place this week. The campaign grants free access to the public at twenty-two national parks country-wide.

One of its iconic parks is the Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site in Limpopo.

Park manager, Mphadeni Nthangeni, says the National Parks Week campaign is important.

“It is the week where, when we incepted this in 2006, it means ‘know your park.’ So, we encourage all South Africans to know their parks, to know their heritage around them. It is important for all small businesses, tour guides; they can bring their South African citizens, and then they can enter for free.”

Students from a nearby TVET college were among the first to enter Mapungubwe National Park for free.

“I am very excited. When our lecturer told us that we are invited to come to Mapungubwe and attend this free week entrance, it was more exciting to come and see the nature and all that Mapungubwe gives us. I am looking forward to seeing a lot of things, especially some of the things that were used during the past, especially by our ancestors and forefathers. As you know, most of our ancestors and forefathers originated in this place, so I am looking forward to seeing how they were living, what they were using, and how they coped in this type of place.”

Today Minister Creecy launches #SANationalParksWeek @SANParks @SANParksKNP pic.twitter.com/gzg3EdqWfU

— Environmentza (@environmentza) September 15, 2023