News

From 17 to 21 September 2007, South Africans had the opportunity to experience the pride and joy of South Africa’s natural assets in an initiative by South African National Parks (SANParks) with substantial support through donated funds from First National Bank (FNB) offering free access to all South African citizens for day visits.

To promote cultural tourism among South Africans and to get domestic tourists to “Educate, Participate and Experience” our national parks, Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, officially launched South African National Parks Week 2007 at Skukuza rest camp in the Kruger National Park on 17 September 2007. Activities across national parks during this week ranged from school groups and senior citizen tours, folk tales and stories by camp fire, treasure hunts in the bush, interpretative walks and talks, career talks and oral history festivals.

To facilitate free admission, day visitors had to produce a valid South African identity document while scholars were allowed to enter without identification. The free access did not cover tourists on Open Safari Vehicles, tour busses or tour operator groups as these are commercial activities which will not have been offered freely to the end user.

Because of the short flower seasons of Namaqua, West Coast and Tankwa Karoo National Parks these parks will not be able to participate in the free access programme.

“National parks are assets belonging to all South African citizens and one of our objectives is to instil a sense of pride and ownership in South Africa’s natural, cultural and historical heritage protected by the national parks,” comments FNB Public Sector Banking CEO, Elizabeth Maepa.

FNB Public Sector Banking, together with its branch banking division, is a long-standing banker to SANParks, and FNB continues its R800 000 annual sponsorship of the South African National Parks Week so that all South Africans can get a chance to enjoy the rich heritage on their doorstep and so build a proudly South African tradition.

Having enjoyed huge success with its sponsorship of the Heritage of Mpumalanga Province in 2005, FNB and SANParks opened the gates of not only the Kruger National Park but most of the country’s national parks to local visitors, during this week-long celebrations leading up to Heritage Day.

FNB is also partnering with the Mpumalanga Provincial Government to promote heritage tourism and assist the region’s SMMEs in setting up and running successful tourism businesses. The project identifies important archaeological sites in the Province which can be turned into new tourist sites, while promoting the history of the area, too.

In celebration of Heritage Month, FNB has taken up yet another challenge to help preserve South Africa’s heritage, joining hands with the National Heritage Fund (NHC) to finance Mpumalanga Premier Thabang Makwetla’s Mpumalanga Heritage Research Project. The aim of the project is to unlock new tourism opportunities that will contribute to economic growth in the province.

The research funded as part of the project has been published as a book unearthing Mpumalanga’s rich archaeological treasures, Mpumalanga – Heritage and History. First National Bank is a division of FirstRand Bank Ltd. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider (NCRCP20).

Issued by: Lani Botha, FNB Corporate Communications Phone: (011) 548-2023 or 082 546 8844. Email: bothal@fleishman.