The Wild, On the House: Free Entry to National Parks Returns This September

Pack the cooler box and charge the camera: South Africa’s national parks are throwing open their gates for free. SANParks has announced that the 21st annual SA National Parks Week will run from 7 to 13 September 2026, giving South African day visitors no-charge access to participating parks across the country.

For three of the crown jewels – Kruger National Park, West Coast National Park and Augrabies Falls National Park – free access runs on weekdays only, from Monday 7 to Friday 11 September, as reported by SAnews.

A week for families, schools and first-timers

“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.

Getting in is simple: South Africans need only present their identity documents at the gate, and children under 18 do not need any identification at all.

What to know before you go

• Free entry covers day visits only – accommodation, guided activities and game drives carry their normal fees.
• Namaqua National Park, the Boulders Penguin Colony section of Table Mountain National Park and the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway are not part of the free-access week.
• Individual parks may have their own entry conditions and daily visitor limits, so arriving early is wise.
• Park-by-park dates are listed on the SANParks website.

Two decades of opening the wild to everyone

Since its launch in 2006, SA National Parks Week has grown into one of SANParks’ flagship public initiatives, drawing hundreds of thousands of day visitors over the years and deepening public love for the country’s protected places. In 2025 alone, more than 105 000 visitors took advantage of the free week.

Behind the fun lies a serious and hopeful purpose: the more South Africans experience their parks first-hand, the stronger the constituency for conservation becomes. A child who watches an elephant amble past the family car this September may well grow into tomorrow’s ranger, guide or wildlife scientist.

The gates open on 7 September. Mzansi, your wild heritage is waiting – and this week, it’s on the house.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org