List of protected areas of South Africa

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The protected areas of South Africa include national parks and marine protected areas managed by the national government, public nature reserves managed by provincial and local governments, and private nature reserves managed by private landowners. Most protected areas are intended for the conservation of flora and fauna. National parks are maintained by South African National Parks (SANParks). [1] A number of national parks have been incorporated in transfrontier conservation areas.

Contents

Protected areas may also be protected for their value and importance as historical, cultural heritage or scientific sites. More information on these can be found in the list of heritage sites in South Africa.

Special Nature Reserves

Special nature reserves are highly protected areas from which all people and human activities are excluded, except for conservation and scientific research. The Prince Edward Islands, which are South African territories in the Southern Ocean, have been declared as a special nature reserve. [2] [3]

National Parks

The following are the national parks of South Africa: [4]

Transfrontier conservation areas

South Africa is involved in the following transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs), also known as "peace parks".

The Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area, involving South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland, is planned to be formed from the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the Nsubane Pongola, Songimvelo-Malolotja and Usuthu-Tembe-Futi TFCAs.

Marine Protected Areas

List of protected areas of South Africa
Marine protected areas of South Africa'"`UNIQ--ref-00000014-QINU`"''"`UNIQ--ref-00000015-QINU`"'

Ramsar Sites

There are 30 designated Ramsar sites in South Africa:

World Heritage Sites

World heritage sites in South Africa are protected by the World Heritage Convention Act (Act 49 of 1999). These include:

Botanical Gardens

UNESCO Biosphere Reserves of South Africa

Eastern Cape

National Parks situated in the Eastern Cape

Mega Parks in the making, predominantly in the Eastern Cape

Parks Managed by Eastern Cape Parks

Natural Heritage Sites

Private and Other Parks

Forest Reserves

Protected Areas

Free State

National Parks

World Heritage Sites

Private and Other Parks

Gauteng

GDACE Parks

Protected Areas

Other parks and private reserves

Bishop Bird, Rooihuiskraal, Centuion

KwaZulu-Natal

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife

Private and Other Parks

Natural Heritage Sites

Limpopo

National Parks

Provincial Parks

Private and Other Parks

Mpumalanga

National Parks

Provincial Parks

Private and Other Parks

Northern Cape

National Parks

Private and Other Parks

North West

National Parks

Provincial Parks

Protected Areas

Private and Other Parks

Western Cape

National Parks

Provincial Parks

West Coast

Winelands

Overberg

Cape Karoo

Garden Route and Little Karoo

Private and other Reserves

Forests

Natural Heritage Sites

Mountain Catchment Areas

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drakensberg</span> Mountain range in South Africa

The Drakensberg is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation – 2,000 to 3,482 metres within the border region of South Africa and Lesotho.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park South Africas third-largest protected area, spanning 280 km of coastline

iSimangaliso Wetland Park is situated on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, about 235 km (146 mi) north of Durban by road. It is South Africa's third-largest protected area, spanning 280 km (170 mi) of coastline, from the Mozambican border in the north to Mapelane south of the Lake St. Lucia estuary, and made up of around 3,280 km2 of natural ecosystems, managed by the iSimangaliso Authority. The park includes:

The Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area was born out of the Peace Park Foundation’s vision to establish a network of transfrontier conservation areas in southern Africa. It straddles the border between South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, southern Mozambique, and Eswatini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maloti-Drakensberg Park</span> International park in Lesotho and South Africa

The Maloti-Drakensberg Park is a World Heritage Site, established on 11 June 2001 by linking the Sehlabathebe National Park in the Kingdom of Lesotho and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The highest peak is Thaba Ntlenyana rising to 3,482 metres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife</span> South African wildlife conservation organisation

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is a governmental organisation responsible for maintaining wildlife conservation areas and biodiversity in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Their headquarters is in Queen Elizabeth Park situated on the northern slopes of Pietermaritzburg, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial capital. Prior to 1994, it was known as the Natal Parks Board.

KwaZulu-Natal is one of the most diverse provinces in South Africa in terms of its fauna and flora. Many of its wide variety of ecosystems have been preserved as parks and reserves, which are popular tourist attractions. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is a governmental agency that maintains the wildlife conservation areas in the province. 

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highveld</span> Geographic region of the South African inland plateau

The Highveld is the portion of the South African inland plateau which has an altitude above roughly 1500 m, but below 2100 m, thus excluding the Lesotho mountain regions to the south-east of the Highveld. It is home to some of the country's most important commercial farming areas, as well as its largest concentration of metropolitan centres, especially the Gauteng conurbation, which accommodates one-third of South Africa's population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maputaland–Pondoland bushland and thickets</span> Montane shrubland ecoregion in South Africa

The Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets is one of the ecoregions of South Africa. It consists of the montane shrubland biome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KwaZulu–Cape coastal forest mosaic</span> Subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of South Africa

The Kwazulu-Cape coastal forest mosaic is a subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of South Africa. It covers an area of 17,800 square kilometers (6,900 sq mi) in South Africa's Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maputaland coastal forest mosaic</span> Subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion on the Indian Ocean coast of Southern Africa.

The Maputaland coastal forest mosaic is a subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion on the Indian Ocean coast of Southern Africa. It covers an area of 29,961 square kilometres (11,568 sq mi) in southern Mozambique, Eswatini, and the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Mozambique's capital Maputo lies within the ecoregion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African National Parks</span> Body responsible for managing South Africas national parks

South African National Parks (SANParks) is the body responsible for managing South Africa's national parks. SANParks was formed in 1926, and currently manages 19 parks consisting of 3,751,113 hectares (37,511.13 km2), over 3% of the total area of South Africa.

Protected areas of Eswatini include any geographical area protected for a specific use inside the landlocked country of Eswatini, in southern Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ponta do Ouro-Kosi Bay Transfrontier Conservation Area</span> Protected area in South Africa and Mozambique

Ponta do Ouro-Kosi Bay Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) is a larger conservation area conceived as an extension of the existing conservation parkland area of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, to extend north into a similar area on the Mozambique side of the border, and including several other parks in the process. The parks to be included are:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot</span> Southern Africa biodiversity hotspot

The Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot (MPA) is a biodiversity hotspot, a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity, in Southern Africa. It is situated near the south-eastern coast of Africa, occupying an area between the Great Escarpment and the Indian Ocean. The area is named after Maputaland, Pondoland and Albany. It stretches from the Albany Centre of Plant Endemism in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, through the Pondoland Centre of Plant Endemism and KwaZulu-Natal Province, the eastern side of Eswatini and into southern Mozambique and Mpumalanga. The Maputaland Centre of Plant Endemism is contained in northern KwaZulu-Natal and southern Mozambique.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matatiele Local Municipality</span> Local municipality in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Matatiele Municipality is a local municipality within the Alfred Nzo District Municipality, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It adjoins Lesotho to the north, Elundini to the south-west, and Greater Kokstad to the east and its 4,352 km² makes the Matatiele Municipality largest of four municipalities in the district at almost half of its geographical area. According to the South African National Census of 2011, its 203,483 residents and 49,527 households makes Matatiele Municipality the second largest populated area in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality behind Mbizana.

The following index is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Wikipedia's articles on recreational dive sites. The level of coverage may vary:

The marine protected areas of South Africa are in an area of coastline or ocean within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Republic of South Africa that is protected in terms of specific legislation for the benefit of the environment and the people who live in and use it. An MPA is a place where marine life can thrive under less pressure than unprotected areas. They are like underwater parks, and this healthy environment can benefit neighbouring areas.

The following index is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the protected areas of South Africa:

References

  1. "Biodiversity & ecosystems". Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (South Africa) . Retrieved 1 July 2009.
  2. Cooper, John (June 2006). "Antarctica and Islands – Background Research Paper produced for the South Africa Environment Outlook report on behalf of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism" (PDF). p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  3. 1993 United Nations list of national parks and protected areas. World Conservation Monitoring Centre, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Commission on Natural Parks and Protected Areas, United Nations Environment Programme. 1993. p. 173. ISBN   2-8317-0190-2.
  4. "SANParks – South African National Parks (A-Z)". South African National Parks . Retrieved 4 January 2010.
  5. "Kuzuko Lodge, Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa".
  6. "Pumba Private Game Reserve | Eastern Cape Safari". www.pumbagamereserve.co.za. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  7. "Mountain Zebra-Camdeboo Protected Environment" (PDF).
  8. National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003 Section 12