South Africa has 19 national parks, each with its own connections to historical and environmental treasures. National parks help preserve biodiversity by supporting the ecosystems within them, which provide sustainable energy and mitigate climate change. Not only that, but these parks help national and local economies by supporting tourism and protecting agriculture. In South Africa, the parks also highlight important historical and cultural moments.

 1. Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park's 2 million hectares are home to unrivaled biodiversity as well as archaeological sites. Specifically, Kruger National Park contains a wide variety of species, including  336 species of trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals. The main attractions are “the big five:” buffalos, elephants, leopards, lions, and rhinos. Currently, 4,000 rhinos reside in Kruger Park, which is down from its 10,000 in 2010—this decrease is largely due to poaching. Kruger’s rhinos make up about 30 percent of the world’s estimated 18,000 wild rhinos still alive. Another special site to see at Kruger’s is the archeological sites like Masorini and Thulamela. During the 1800s, the Sotho-speaking BaPhalaborwa people lived in Masorini and developed an advanced industry of mining, smelting iron ore, and trading iron products. Kruger National Park has 255 recorded archaeological sites ranging from the early Stone Age (about 1 million years ago) to the Iron Age. These sites hold cultural, historical and spiritual importance to the land. 

2. Golden Gate Highlands National Park

The Golden Gate Highlands National Park covers 130 square miles. The park gets its name from the sandstone cliffs that frame the valley. Amid the striking panoramic landscapes, dinosaur remains have been discovered. Five notable sites to visit in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park include Basotho Cultural Village, Vulture’s restaurant, Cathedral Cave, Clarens, and Brandwag Buttress. Basotho Cultural Village trail is a cultural route that acts as an education program, spreading awareness about the first occupants of historical sites of Qwa Qwa. A visit to the Basotho Cultural Village includes tasting the locally brewed beer and foods, enjoying traditional dances, learning how local arts and crafts are produced, and meeting with village elders. The Basotho Cultural Village is a replica of the 18th-century village and has houses replicating ones from the 16th century to the present day. However, research demonstrated that visitors had concerns about the service, facilities, and staff’s portrayal of genuine Basotho culture at the village. Nonetheless, a trip to Clarens—a small town 12 miles from Golden Gate Highlands with sandstone mountains and a picturesque town—is a great way to invest your time and money into the area.

3. Table Mountain National Park

Table Mountain National Park has mountains, beaches, forests and oceans. Within these environments are many activities to choose from: scuba diving, paragliding, mountain biking, horseback riding, surfing and much more. Also, one can reach the top of Table Mountain—which is now one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature—on the environmental education experience called Class in the Clouds. This youth educational experience takes a cable car to the top of Table Mountain where they’re taught a natural science lesson. The park focuses on protecting the land in conjunction with education. The Cape Research Centre was developed in 2008 to conduct socio-ecological research for many of the unique parks in South Africa. At TMNP, there is also the Boulders Penguin Colony, which is home to endangered African penguins. The Boulder Penguin section consists of three beaches, three boardwalks and one penguin viewing area. The decline of the African penguins is due to habitat destruction, oil spills and other marine pollution, global warming’s effect on fish stocks and fish movement, overfishing, irresponsible tourism, and domestic pets. To protect the biodiversity in the oceans at TMNP, the park created the TMNP Marine Protected Area in 2004. Although fishing is allowed in the MPA with a permit, it has six restricted areas with five “no-take” zones. The restricted zones aim to assist breeding for threatened marine life, giving the populations a chance to regenerate.

4. Addo Elephant National Park

The Addo Elephant National Park is home to three of the 10 most endangered African animals: the lion, African elephant and African penguin. . In 2003, six lions were reintroduced to the park, and now there are 26 wild lions.  Also, the park currently has over 600 elephants, with an average population increase of 5% each year. In the early part of the 20th century, it is estimated that 3.5 million African elephants roamed wild in Africa— now there are only 415,000. Habitat destruction and poaching are driving the decline of these species. The Addo Elephant National Park partners with the Imbewu project to help educate local youths about conservation and culture through experience, connecting present and future generations emotionally to the Earth. Additionally, Addo Elephant Park strives to connect with local communities. Within the park, the Eyethu Hop-on Guides are people from the adjacent communities that provide guide services for visitors in their own vehicles. This program is meant to create mutually beneficial relationships with the communities surrounding the park.

5. Mountain Zebra National Park

The Mountain Zebra National Park was established in 1937 to protect the endangered Mountain Zebra, which was almost hunted to extinction in the 1800s. The 28,412 hectares of the MZNP are a part of a transitional area between Grassland, Nama Karoo and Albany Thicket biomes. As a result, the conservation of MZNP is essential because it protects ecological processes in addition to biodiversity. Today, the MZNP has achieved a population of over 700 Mountain Zebras, compared to 55 Mountain Zebras in 1964. Culturally, the MZNP contains over 30 sites with pottery and stone artifacts dating back to 14,000 to 10,000 years ago. Specifically, there is evidence left by the San people 300 years ago in at least three rock shelters containing rock art in the park. The paintings show antelopes, baboons, large cats and human figures. Visitors with a Park guide can see the painting sites through a protective fence. Also, one can find remnants of an etched chess board made by English colonizer soldiers at the park. The MZNP continues to grow in size and aims to expand to the west to join with the Camdeboo National Park. 

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Kyla is an upcoming senior at Boston University, and is majoring in Journalism with a minor in Anthropology. She writes articles for the Daily Free Press at BU and a local paper in Malden, Massachusetts called Urban Media Arts. Pursuing journalism is her passion, and she aims to highlight stories from people of all walks of life to encourage productive, educated conversation. In the future, Kyla hopes to create well researched multimedia stories which emphasize under-recognized narratives.