South African day visitors will once again have the opportunity to explore participating national parks for free during the 21st annual SA National Parks Week.
The South African National Parks (SANParks) initiative will take place from 7 to 13 September 2026, offering South African citizens free entry to participating national parks across the country.
However, free access at Kruger National Park, West Coast National Park and Augrabies Falls National Park will only be available from Monday, 7 September to Friday, 11 September, and will not include the weekend.
“This highly anticipated South African National Parks 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,” SANParks said.
Namaqua National Park, the Boulders Penguin Colony section of Table Mountain National Park and the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway are not included in the free access initiative.
To qualify for free entry, South African visitors must present a valid identity document. Children under the age of 18 will not be required to provide identification.
The free access offer applies to day visitors only and does not include accommodation, guided activities, game drives or other tourism activities, which will continue to be charged at normal rates. SANParks has also warned that individual parks may have different entry requirements and visitor limits.
For the full list of participating parks and their respective free-access dates, visit the SANParks SA National Parks Week 2026 page.
Since its launch in 2006, SA National Parks Week has become one of SANParks’ flagship public awareness initiatives, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors and helping to build greater appreciation for South Africa’s national parks and their role in conservation.
More than 105,000 visitors took advantage of the free-access initiative in 2025 alone.
The South African National Parks (SANParks) initiative will take place from 7 to 13 September 2026, offering South African citizens free entry to participating national parks across the country.
However, free access at Kruger National Park, West Coast National Park and Augrabies Falls National Park will only be available from Monday, 7 September to Friday, 11 September, and will not include the weekend.
“This highly anticipated South African National Parks 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,” SANParks said.
Namaqua National Park, the Boulders Penguin Colony section of Table Mountain National Park and the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway are not included in the free access initiative.
To qualify for free entry, South African visitors must present a valid identity document. Children under the age of 18 will not be required to provide identification.
The free access offer applies to day visitors only and does not include accommodation, guided activities, game drives or other tourism activities, which will continue to be charged at normal rates. SANParks has also warned that individual parks may have different entry requirements and visitor limits.
For the full list of participating parks and their respective free-access dates, visit the SANParks SA National Parks Week 2026 page.
Since its launch in 2006, SA National Parks Week has become one of SANParks’ flagship public awareness initiatives, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors and helping to build greater appreciation for South Africa’s national parks and their role in conservation.
More than 105,000 visitors took advantage of the free-access initiative in 2025 alone.
