Brief History

Modern-day SANParks has a long and complex history dating over a century. Below is a timeline of the key events in the Organisation’s history.

• 1898
  • The establishment of Sabie Game Reserve (precursor to the modern-day Kruger National Park).
• 1903
  • The establishment of the Shingwedzi Game Reserve.
• 1926
  • The formation of the National Parks Board.
  • The merger of Sabie and Shingwedzi Game Reserves to form the Kruger National Park.
• 1931
  • Kalahari Gemsbok National Park is proclaimed (precursor to modern-day Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park).
  • The proclamation of Addo Elephant National Park.
  • Bontebok National Park is proclaimed.
• 1937
  • Mountain Zebra National Park is proclaimed.
• 1963
  • The proclamation of Golden Gate Highlands National Park.
• 1964
  • Tsitsikamma National Park is proclaimed.
• 1966
  • The proclamation of Augrabies Falls National Park.
• 1979
  • Karoo National Park is proclaimed.
• 1985
  • The proclamation of West Coast National Park.
• 1986
  • The proclamation of Tankwa Karoo National Park.
  • Vaalbos National Park is proclaimed. The park was de-proclaimed in 2002 due to a successful land claim being officially gazetted.
• 1987
  • Wilderness National Park is proclaimed.
• 1991
  • Richtersveld National Park is proclaimed as South Africa’s first contractual national park.
• 1994
  • South Africa’s first democratic elections.
  • Marakele National Park is proclaimed (originally as Kransberg National Park).
• 1995
  • The proclamation of Vhembe Dongola National Park (precursor to Mapungubwe National Park).
• 1998
  • Mavuso Msimang becomes the first black CEO of the current SANParks.
  • Cape Peninsula National Park proclaimed – renamed Table Mountain National Park in 2003.
  • Evolution of National Parks Board into South African National Parks – which was later to start using the acronym SANParks, that we all know and use today.
• 1999
  • Namaqua National Park is proclaimed.
• 2000
  • Kalahari Gemsbok National Park (South Africa) and Gemsbok National Park (Botswana) merged into a functional Transfrontier Park renamed Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
• 2003
  • Ai-Ais Hot Springs and Fish River Canyon (Namibia) and Richtersveld National Park merged into a functional transfrontier Park known as |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park.
• 2004
  • Vhembe Dongola renamed Mapungubwe National Park.
• 2005
  • Camdeboo National Park proclaimed evolving out of the Karoo Nature Reserve (established in 1979).
• 2007
  • Mokala National Park is established.
• 2009
  • The Garden Route National Park is established by amalgamating the existing Tsitsikamma and Wilderness National Parks, the Knysna National Lake Area and various other areas of state-owned land, some of which is indigenous forest, and others mountain fynbos in catchment areas.