South Africa’s National Parks are growing!

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) South Africa has announced that four of South Africa’s National Parks have increased in size. The expansion comes with a declaration on 02 February 2024 which incorporates an additional 20 206 hectares of land into Namaqua National Park, Mokala National Park, Karoo National Park and Agulhas National Park.
The largest of these expansions was for the Namaqua National Park in the Western Cape which has grown by 18 391 hectares. The size Mokala National Park in the Northern Cape was increased by 844 hectares, Karoo National Park in the Western Cape grew by 397 hectares and Agulhas National Park, also located in the Western Cape, was expanded by 574 hectares.
The expansion of the four National Parks was made possible through the work of the National Parks Trust of South Africa (NPTSA) and WWF South Africa. The NPTSA, which is managed by WWF South Africa, helps South African National Parks (SANParks) to acquire land to expand South Africa’s National Parks to meet conservation targets and create spaces where our country’s unique fauna and flora can thrive.

The expansion of Namaqua National Park covers an array of threatened veld types and will help to protect rare, threatened and endemic plant species, among them the iconic kokerboom (or quiver tree). In addition, it encompasses a 6km section of a 41km stretch of the Buffels River and the upper catchment of the Swartlintjies river system, both of which are important for the overall ecological functioning of the park.
Mokala National Park provides grazing for a range of rare antelope (such as sable and roan) and other species, including disease-free buffalo. Its expansion includes Northern Upper Karoo vegetation of which less than 1 percent is under formal protection.
Karoo National Park is home to Cape mountain zebras, 20 pairs of breeding Verreaux’s eagles, 864 species of plants and has the highest density of tortoises in the world (five species), while the Agulhas National Park encompasses the southernmost tip of the African continent and features threatened habitats of the Cape Floristic Region on the surrounding Agulhas plain.

Mokala National Park: Access roads are in a very bad condition!

According to South African National Parks (SANParks), the access roads to Mokala National Park's Mosu Gate and Lilydale Gate are currently in a very bad condition. Both roads are not recommended for normal caravans. Although both access roads are in very bad state, SANParks advises visitors rather to make use of the Lilydale Gate as the access road from the N12 to the Mosu Gate is in an even worse condition following a recent cloud burst. SANParks also recommends to contact Mokala National Park prior to a trip for up to date information with regards to the accessibility of the roads as sedan vehicles might not be suitable for all roads within the park when there has been rain in the area.

 
Mokala National Park is located in the Plooysburg area south-west of Kimberley in the Northern Cape. The National Park covers 28 414ha and is home to, amongst other species, Buffalo, Tsessebe, Roan Antelope, Sable Antelope, Giraffe, Gemsbok, Eland, Zebra, Red
Hartebeest, Blue Wildebeest, Black Wildebeest, Kudu, Ostrich, Steenbok, Duiker and Springbok.

South Africa: Construction work at Mokala National Park in June/July 2017!

South African National Parks (SANParks) is set to upgrade the last three non-self catering units to self-catering in Mokala National Park. The construction work will start on 12 June 2017 and is planed to be finished by 15 July 2017.



Mokala National Park is SANParks' newest Park. It is situated approximately 70km south-southwest of Kimberley, and west of the N12 freeway to Cape Town. Nestled in the hills, landscape of the National Park boasts a variety of koppieveld (hills) and large open plains.

South Africa: Mokala National Park got expanded

As part of its expansion plan, Mokala National Park in the Northern Cape has added another property. With the inclusion of the Kameeldoorns poperty, located in the west of the park, Mokala National Park is now 27,571 hectares.*
The expansion in the National Park will help realise the three prime objectives in the area, namely:

• The conservation of a representative sample of the regions prominent ecological patterns associated with the interface of two Biomes (Nama-Karoo & Savanna) and ecological processes (e.g., rocky hills and sandy plains interfaces, large herbivore, riverine etc) in a contiguous functional conservation area.
• The establishment of an economically sustainable park.
• Developing a park that is socially sustainable through the development of entrenched social linkages across the local area.

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The Mokala National Park was established in 2007 as an alternative to the Vaalbos National Park, which was subject of land claims and diamond prospecting rights. The National Park is located in the Plooysburg area approximately 70km south-southwest of Kimberley in the  Northern Cape. The landscape of the National Park boasts a variety of koppieveld (hills) and sandy plains. Mokala, a Setswana name for a Camel Thorn, is home to e.g. Black Rhino, Tsessebe, Roan antelope, White Rhino and Black Wildebeest. There are mosquitoes during summer, but the Mokala National Park is a malaria-free zone.

*For some unknown reasons, the current size of the Mokala National Park (27,571 hectares) is smaller than about 10 month ago. Does one know why?

South Africa: Mokala National Park expands

The Mokala National Park, South African National Parks (SANParks) newest National Park, has added two important properties, Lilydale and Valschfontein, as part of its park expansion programme. The National Park was established in 2007 as an alternative to the Vaalbos National Park, which was subject of land claims and diamond prospecting rights. With the inclusion of the two properties Mokala National Park is now covering 28,151 hectares.

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The Mokala National Park is located in the Plooysburg area approximately 80km south-southwest of Kimberley in South Africa's province Northern Cape. The landscape of the National Park boasts a variety of koppieveld (hills) and sandy plains. Mokala, a Setswana name for a Camel Thorn, is home to e.g. Black Rhino, Tsessebe, Roan antelope, White Rhino and Black Wildebeest. There are mosquitoes during summer, but the Mokala National Park is a malaria-free zone.