Is Kirstenbosch getting too expensive? Annual membership introduced - got R800?

John Maytham speaks to Nontsikelelo Mpulo of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) about the new annual membership system.

Locals who love to enjoy strolls in South Africa's national gardens can now get unlimited walks and visits to gardens with SANBI's annual membership card.

RELATED: Kirstenbosch Gardens' Garden Centre closes as owner of 20 years retires

The SANBI Gardens membership is available from 1 April 2024 while sales open on Thursday (14 March). The membership is valid for a year.

Annual membership fees for locals:

• Adults: R800
• Students: R600
• Child 6-17 years: R400
• Children younger than 6: Free
• Persons older than 60 enter the gardens free on Tuesdays

You can buy memberships from Webtickets.

With the BotSoc membership system's pending elimination, BotSoc members can keep their membership and receive a 10% discount on garden admission fees until the end of their annual membership.

The public can hold both a SANBI Card and a BotSoc Membership Card as BotSoc is a nonprofit working towards plant conservation while SANBI is focused on work and research at the gardens. 

Mpulo says the introduction of SANBI's membership fees comes after market research conducted in 2022. 

"We got overwhelmingly good responses to say that people would be willing to pay a standard fee for an annual membership to a SANBI garden."

- Nontsikelelo Mpulo, SANBI

SANBI's new membership fees are steeper than the BotSoc membership but Mpulo says the prices are 'competitive' and offer 'good value for money'.

"Pricing was based on... research done among people who said they would want to be able to get an annual membership card... We benchmarked it against the likes of SanParks and other organisations in the biodiversity section. SanParks for an individual membership charges R805."

- Nontsikelelo Mpulo, SANBI

"We felt that it was quite competitive and quite a good value for money product because if people come to the gardens five days a week - which people do - they pay about R3 per entry. So, I think that it is affordable and accessible to the majority of people."

- Nontsikelelo Mpulo, SANBI

"The BotSoc membership was benchmarked against what they were offering. We are offering something completely different and the opportunity to contribute to the work and research of SANBI."

- Nontsikelelo Mpulo, SANBI

Find more information about SANBI's new membership system here.

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