National park in South Africa the size of Johannesburg gets R136.5 million upgrade
South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced a R136.5 million investment in upgrades to Addo Elephant National Park, focusing on improving facilities and infrastructure.
The new upgrades by SANParks are aimed at improving the park’s tourism offering, visitor experience, and operational sustainability.
“Visitors should experience the very best South Africa has to offer in terms of quality accommodation and facilities, with options at multiple price points,” said Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister David Maynier.
This follows Maynier’s visit to the park, where he spoke with visitors about their views on the park and what upgrades would bring the park to an international standard.
Maynier reported on the recently completed upgrades, including eight modern family accommodation units now open to the public.
He said that comprehensive upgrades to the bulk sewer and electrical infrastructure have also been completed, along with a new spa that is now operational.
Additional accommodation units and refurbished existing units are scheduled to open in December 2026, together with the refurbished guest house and swimming pool.
Maynier announced that a new 10-unit Community Lodge is expected to be completed by December 2026, with its official opening and the start of operations planned for January 2027.
The completed 705-kW grid-tied solar plant is also scheduled to be commissioned in January 2027.
He said that road maintenance is currently underway, while additional strategic projects are planned to strengthen the park’s tourism offering, support conservation objectives, and contribute to its long-term growth and sustainability.
“Having previously visited Addo Elephant National Park, I am aware of the many challenges relating to the condition of its basic infrastructure and facilities,” the Minister said.
Maynier said he was pleased to see the scale of the work now underway at Addo, with several facilities scheduled to be completed in time for the December holidays.
The world’s highest density of African elephants in a main camp area
Addo Elephant National Park is the third-largest national park in South Africa, after the Kruger National Park and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
The park now covers 164,000 hectares, or 1,640 square kilometres, including the terrestrial areas, the Zuurberg section, and the marine protected area.
This is equivalent to the size of Johannesburg, whose municipal boundaries cover 1,645 square kilometres.
Addo is located in the Eastern Cape, around 30 minutes from the airport in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), and is known for its dense elephant population of over 800.
Although Addo has a large elephant population, it is still second to the Kruger National Park, which recorded around 30,000 elephants in 2024.
Addo Elephant National Park, however, holds the world’s highest density of African elephants in its main camp area.
Over 800 elephants are confined within the Addo’s fenced Main Camp area, which has resulted in significantly high rates of encounter for visitors.
Due to its location, the park is home not only to the Big Five, but also to sea creatures, including the Southern right whale and the Great white shark.
SANParks has recorded 91 mammal species and 418 bird species living in the park. Some of the activities available at Addo include 4×4 trails, hiking trails, beach access, bird watching, and fishing.
In 2005, the proclamation of the Greater Addo Elephant National Park significantly expanded its boundaries.
This expansion included the marine protected area of Algoa Bay, the offshore islands of the Bird Island Complex, and the Zuurberg mountain section.
As a result, it became Africa’s first park to incorporate all of the Big 7 species, the terrestrial Big Five, along with the southern right whale and the great white shark, within a single protected area.
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