The History of SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL PARKS
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)
1926 1903
The formation of the National Parks Board The establishment of the Shingwedzi Game Reserve
1926 1931
The merger of Sabie and Shingwedzi Game Reserves to Kalahari Gemsbok National Park is proclaimed form the Kruger National Park (Precursor to modern-day Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park)
1931 1931
Bontebok National Park is proclaimed The proclamation of Addo Elephant National Park
1937 1963
Mountain Zebra National Park is proclaimed The proclamation of Golden Gate Highlands National Park
1966 1964
The proclamation of Augrabies Falls National Park Tsitsikamma National Park is proclaimed
1979 1985
Karoo National Park is proclaimed The proclamation of West Coast National Park
1986 1986
Vaalbos National Park is proclaimed The proclamation of Tankwa Karoo National Park The park was de-proclaimed in 2002 due to a successful land claim being officially gazetted.
1987 1991
Wilderness National Park is proclaimed Richtersveld National Park is proclaimed as South Africa’s first contractual national park
1994 1994
Marakele National Park is proclaimed (originally as South Africa’s first democratic elections Kransberg National Park)
1995 1998
The proclamation of Vhembe Dongola National Park Mavuso Msimang becomes the first black CEO of the (precursor to Mapungubwe National Park) current SANParks
1998 1998
Evolution of National Parks Board into Cape Peninsula National Park proclaimed – renamed Table South African National Parks – which was Mountain National Park in 2003 later to start using the acronym SANParks, that we all know and use today.
1999 2000
Namaqua National Park is proclaimed Kalahari Gemsbok National Park (South Africa) and Gemsbok National Park (Botswana) merged into a functional Transfrontier Park renamed Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
2004 2003
Vhembe Dongola renamed Mapungubwe National Park 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
2005 2007
Camdeboo National Park proclaimed evolving out of Mokala National Park is established the Karoo Nature Reserve (established in 1979)
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.