SANParks will open participating national parks to South African day visitors free of charge for its annual SA National Parks Week, with free access to the Kruger National Park running from September 7-11.

According to Lowvelder, SANParks head of communications JP Louw said the highly anticipated campaign opens the gates of participating national parks to South African day visitors at no charge, creating an opportunity for families, communities, schools, nature lovers and first-time visitors to experience some of the country’s most spectacular protected areas.

“To qualify for free access, South Africans must present their identity documents, while children below the age of 18 will not be required to provide identification. The free access does not include accommodation, guided activities, game drives or other tourist activities as these carry their normal fees,” said Louw.

Louw added that individual parks may also have different entry conditions and visitor limits. For specific dates on when individual parks will observe SA National Parks Week and allow free access, visit the SANParks website.

Thousands join annual campaign

Since its inception in 2006, SA National Parks Week has become one of SANParks’ flagship public awareness initiatives, attracting hundreds of thousands of day visitors and helping to strengthen public appreciation of South Africa’s national parks and the vital role they play in conservation.

In 2025 alone, more than 105 000 visitors took advantage of the free-access initiative.

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