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Under the theme “Know Your National Parks” South African National Parks (SANParks) in partnership with First National Bank (FNB) and Total South Africa opened the 12th official South African National Parks Week at Golden Gate Highlands National Park (GGHNP). The week, opened by the SANParks Chief Executive Officer, Fundisile Mketeni begins tomorrow, the 18th of September and will end on Friday the 22nd of September.

The official launch was held in GGHNP, which an open system park and currently the only proclaimed National Park within the grassland biome. It was proclaimed on 13 September 1963 at 4 792 ha, and today is 34 000 ha. “National Parks Week initiative was born out of the realization that the majority of South Africa”s citizens were not visiting parks, and with a plethora of activities and wide variety of accommodation to choose from, the week is an effort to cultivate a culture of awareness and pride of National Parks especially for those communities situated around the parks,”” says Mketeni.

The week is also an opportunity to showcase all national parks as key and affordable local holiday destinations which offer unique experiences that families and individuals from all backgrounds, cultures, lifestyles and communities can enjoy.

“FNB has supported this initiative for over a decade, primarily because it raises awareness about the importance of conservation and has brought the parks closer to our communities. Part of the reason that South Africa”s national parks are renowned the world over is because of a concerted effort to conserve them and ensure they remain intact for future generations,” says Kgosi Ledimo, CEO FNB Public Sector Banking.

“Total South Africa”s association with SANParks is long-standing, and we have sponsored the Free Access Week since its inception 12 years ago,” says Pierre-Yves Sachet, MD and CEO Total South Africa and Vice-President Total Southern Africa. “Through our partnership with SANParks Total is able to raise awareness about the importance of environmental education and the need to sustain the beauty of our national parks. We believe in responsible actions by individuals and communities, as an imperative factor in protecting and managing the environment and we are proud to be part of this project”.

“GGHNP is unique in that it is equidistance to three sources markets, Bloemfontein, Gauteng and Durban and therefore has tremendous potential in terms of infrastructure development. This is why we are excited about the various adventure activity products we are developing, and in so doing, we want the millennial market to take advantage of this offering along with the historical and geographical formations of the Park,” continues Mketeni.

Along with the Basotho Cultural Village and museum located on the eastern side of the amalgamated GGHNP, the Parks boasts a rich history with San rock art and primitive stone tools found at various places throughout Golden Gate. It hosts the oldest dinosaur embryo which was discovered in the area in the early century. The extensive Early Jurassic continental strata of Southern Africa yielded exceptional records of dinosaurs ranging from embryos to large adults, but it was only at GGHNP where the first and oldest known example in fossil record of an incomplete egg clutch including in-ova-embryos was discovered. Further this, plans are underway to build a world-class Dinosaur Interpretative Centre.

The Park is named after the brilliant shades of gold cast by the sun on the Park's ever present sandstone cliffs, especially the imposing Brandwag rock, and is nestled in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains in the north eastern Free State about 20km of the artistic town of Clarens. There are a wide variety of birds in the Park with more than 220 species recorded. The most important birds of prey are the Black Eagle and Jackal Buzzard, as well as the critically endangered Bearded and endangered Cape Vulture. The conservation of vultures in the Eastern Free State has been given a boost by the completion of the Golden Gate Vulture Hide and Restaurant in the Park.

Free access to SA National Parks will be granted to South African day visitors 16 years and older upon presentation of a valid identification document and Mketeni underlines that “The week allows all citizens a chance to freely access something they might not have been exposed to. We especially want our young people to take advantage of this opportunity because this heritage will be under their protection in the near future.”

Share your visit to a National Park with us during SA National Parks Week using #SANationalParksWeek and tag @SANParks.

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Issued By

South African National Parks (SANParks) Corporate Communications
Tel: 012 426 5170

Enquiries:
Janine Raftopoulos
SANParks Head of Communications
Tel: 012 426 5170; Cell: 071 444 3121
Email: [email protected]

Reynold “Rey” Thakhuli
SANParks Acting Head of Communications
Tel: 012 426 5203; Cell: 073 373 4999
Email: [email protected]

Dumezulu Shiburi
Corporate Communications Manager, FNB
Tel: 087 328 0990
Email [email protected]

Nadia Vosloo
Acting Corporate Communications Manager, Total South Africa
Tel: 011 778 2000; Cell: 0829012502
Email: [email protected]