Note to Broadcaster: Please find the attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Jóhni Steenkamp.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the North West is deeply alarmed by the extreme and unjustifiable tariff increases announced by the North West Parks and Tourism Board (NWPTB), which are set to take effect on 1 December 2025. Some of these hikes increase by more than 1 500%.
These increases are nothing short of a direct assault on affordability, accessibility, and the already-struggling tourism sector.
Over the past week, the DA has analysed the new tariffs across all ten provincial nature reserves in the Bojanala, Central, Dr K.K., and Bophirima regions. The DA uncovered increases that simply defy logic:
- Vehicle entry at Boskop Dam is set to rise by 1 580%.
- Caravan fees at Borakalalo will jump by 1 475%.
- Children’s entry fees climb by 180%.
- Adult entry fees go up by 332%.
- Day-visitor tariffs at Madikwe rise by 1 370%.
These increases cannot be justified under any financial model, nor do they reflect standard inflationary adjustments.
Increases in the rest of the country reflect a more inflation-driven increase:
- Addo Elephant National Park 12.59%
- Table Mountain (Cape of Good Hope) 13.19%
- Augrabies Falls National Park 10.92%
- West Coast National Park 12.50%
Only a few weeks ago, MEC Lenkopane announced a R400 million boost to improve biodiversity management and upgrade infrastructure in protected areas. With such a massive financial injection specifically intended for maintenance and upgrades, it makes absolutely no sense for the NWPTB to now pile extreme costs onto the public. You cannot claim to be investing in improving access while simultaneously pricing people out.
If these tariffs are allowed to stand, the damage will be immediate and long-term. Families will be forced to stay away from provincial parks.
Small tourism businesses will take an unnecessary knock. Schools will struggle to afford educational outings. Visitor numbers will fall sharply, leading to less revenue, not more. As fewer people visit, the parks risk falling into further neglect.
The contradiction between the MEC’s celebrated R400 million investment and these shocking tariff hikes cannot be ignored. The DA therefore calls on the MEC to put an immediate stop to the new tariffs and provide a clear explanation for how such irrational increases were approved in the first place.
We have submitted written questions requesting the revenue projections, impact assessments, board resolutions, and PFMA compliance records that supposedly justify this move. We have also asked that the MEC appear before the Portfolio Committee without delay to account for the governance failures within the NWPTB.
With R400 million already allocated to strengthen biodiversity and protected-area infrastructure, there is simply no excuse to make the public carry the cost through unaffordable tariff hikes.
The DA will continue fighting to ensure accountability, affordability, and the protection of our province’s natural heritage.