Infrastructure maintenance in South Africa's National Parks : the Sanparks project

Abstract

South Africa has tourist destinations with unique attractions and world-class facilities which attract very high numbers of international and local tourists. From the point of view of the tourists, the quality of the infrastructure, such as that for travel and accommodation, also more basic needs such as water and sanitation and reasonable roads, is a major determinant of how much they enjoy the visit. The paper describes a recent (2019-2023) major initiative (and touches on its 2023-2026 sequel) to improve the infrastructure across all nineteen national parks. Its main objective was the upgrading and maintenance of existing infrastructure, together with some new construction, all by labour-intensive means. Its next most important objective was to do as much of these as possible utilising people, who it would train appropriately, from the poor communities adjacent to the parks. Both objectives were achieved. The type of work is not by any means unique, nor is the concept of creating job opportunities for the purpose. But the conservation area environment in all of the national parks is definitely unique. Not only that: teams working outside the camps but within the parks have, given the freedom of the “Big Five” to roam, been accompanied where necessary by armed field guides. Illustrations when presented at SATC would mostly be drawn from roadworks.