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SANParks affirms visitor experience and safety measures ahead of peak holiday period

Cape Town, 24 December 2025 — South African National Parks (SANParks) Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr Property Mokoena, accompanied by Head of Communications and Spokesperson, Mr JP Louw, undertook a two-day site visit to Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) from 22 to 23 December 2025 to assess progress in implementing the Festive Season Readiness Plan announced on 24 November 2025.

TMNP Management, led by Bongani Mnisi, Regional General Manager: Cape Region, and Megan Taplin, Park Manager: TMNP, reported on progress made and led the local team as implementers of the plan.

Day 1: Oversight and Observation

On 22 December 2025, the delegation included Captain Mtolo from the South African Police Service (SAPS), as well as SANParks Honorary Rangers’ Kenneth Carden and Wesley Lewin. An aerial observation using the SANParks helicopter assessed hiking trail conditions, traffic flow in high-use areas, signage adequacy, and the visibility of safety teams including rangers, SAPS members, City of Cape Town personnel and volunteers especially at hot spots. This is primarily because visibility tends to act as a deterrent and proactive intervention against criminal activities.

An engagement was held with Mr Heinrych Aylward, newly appointed Senior Manager: Visitor Safety and Protection Services. His mandate is to deliver an enhanced safety and security strategy and strengthen collaboration with volunteer and community groups. The Sea-Air-Mountain (SEAM) Team demonstrated body-worn cameras and other specialised equipment, aimed at improving accountability, incident reporting, and operational responsiveness.

Part of the day’s engagement also included custodians (i.e. car guards who also received training on how to provide visitors with information on park trails and safety tips). This project is part of the Protect-Our-Paths initiative that is supported by the organisations Sealand and SANParks Honorary Rangers.

An observation was also made of the City of Cape Town’s recent deployment of cadets to the northern areas of TMNP. They particularly add extra law enforcement capacity that strengthens safety efforts.

Day 2: Trail Inspections

Informed by observations made on 22 December 2025, the focus of 23 December 2025 was placed on trail inspections to confirm maintenance progress and identify areas requiring further attention.

Observations and Next Steps

Mr Mokoena remarked that the overall condition and offerings of Table Mountain National Park are largely directed at satisfying visitor needs in terms of both experience and safety. He emphasised that observations made during the visit will ensure immediate support is provided where required, while also informing medium- to long-term planning initiatives.

Mokoena also reaffirmed SANParks’ commitment to ensure every visitor feels safe and is able to enjoy well-maintained, high quality visitor facilities within the national park that is also a World Heritage Site.

Ends