SANParks ready to welcome visitors to Table Mountain National Park this festive season

SANParks said that it's fully prepared to welcome increased visitor numbers to the Table Mountain National Park this summer. 

It's also highlighted strong safety measures and enhanced firefighting and environmental protection capacity. 

From April to October this year, the park recorded more than 1.7 million entries across its access points - an almost 20 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. 

SANParks spokesperson, JP Louw, said that with more flight and cruise ship arrivals expected, this upward trend looked set to continue into December and January.

"TMNP now has 157 rangers deployed across the park, working closely with the 40-member Sea-Air-Mountain (SEAM) special operations unit. This unit was bolstered earlier this year with 24 additional elite rangers and the recent addition of six new operational vehicles. Drone technology has also been introduced to support safety patrols and firefighting operations."

Louw said that Table Mountain's canine unit would receive further support through contracted, trained dogs and handlers over the festive period, while the unit underwent a review to strengthen its long-term operations.