scholarly journals Identifying ecotourists’ accommodation needs and preferences?

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-76
Author(s):  
M. Saayman ◽  
P. Van der Merwe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Valuable Contribution

The purpose of this research is to determine ecotourists’ needs and preferences concerning national parks in South Africa. A survey was conducted at the Tsitsikamma National Park, focusing on fixed-roof accommodation, camping and ecolodges. Results showed that the preferences for each aspect are unique and that setting remains paramount when it comes to fixed-roof accommodation. The research also confirmed that a variety of accommodation types, including provision for self-catering, is preferred by ecotourists. This research makes a valuable contribution to the managing of accommodation in South African National Parks.

Assessment appraisal, disposal and transfer of neglected rangers’ diaries created from 1926 to 1930: case of the Kruger National Parks of South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nkholedzeni Sidney Netshakhuma
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Historical Record ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Archives ◽  
History Of ◽  
Parks Management

Purpose This paper aims to assess the appraisal, disposal and transfer of records of the Kruger National Park (KNP) rangers’ diaries processes from 1926 to 1930 with a view to recommend best practices. Design/methodology/approach The paper applied a qualitative methodology through document analysis, interviews and observations as data collection instruments to analyse contents of rangers’ diaries. The population of the study comprised rangers, a records manager and a representative from the National Archives of South Africa (NARSSA), a member of South Africa National Parks’ management and a scientist from South African National Biodiversity Institute. Findings The key findings revealed that rangers’ diaries contain historical, scientific and cultural information. However, such information is not disseminated to society. Lack of systematic appraisal, arrangement of records led to a loss of institutional memories. The role of National Archives and Records Service of South Africa is not visible to provide guidelines on the preservation of rangers’ records. Research limitations/implications This research is limited to KNP ranger’s diaries created from 1926 to 1930 because it is the period of establishment of the national park and introduction of rangers’ programme. Practical implications The findings are expected to be instrumental towards the preservation of rangers’ diaries within the park. Rangers’ diaries are also potentially of great biogeographical value in constituting a historical record of the plants and animals in a given area, their distribution and population changes, and the effects of human interventions such as game fences and artificially created waterholes, game culling and tourism, not to forget climate change. Social implications Preservation of ranger diaries may lead to documentation of records with historical, scientific and social value. Rangers’ diaries also form part of the national archival heritage of South Africa, as they bridge the gap of undocumented history of the rangers and national parks in South Africa. Originality/value This paper appears to be the first to research the assessment of the appraisal, disposal and transfer of rangers’ diaries created from 1926 to 1930.

scholarly journals The status of rhinoceroses in South African National Parks

Koedoe ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam M. Ferreira ◽  
Charlene Bissett ◽  
Carly R. Cowell ◽  
Angela Gaylard ◽  
Cathy Greaver ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
The South ◽  
South Central ◽  
The Status ◽  
Annual Population ◽  
Block Based

African rhinoceroses (rhinos) experienced a poaching onslaught since 2008 with the epicentre in South Africa where most of the world’s rhinos occur. South African national parks, under the management of South African National Parks (SANParks), are custodian to 49% of South Africa’s white and 31% of the country’s black rhinos. We collated information on rhino population sizes in seven national parks from 2011 to 2015. We include and report on rhino surveys in Kruger National Park during 2014 and 2015. Southwestern black rhinos increased over the study period, which allows SANParks to achieve its contribution to South Africa’s 2020 target of 260 individuals. South-central black rhinos declined over the study period because of poaching in the Kruger National Park, making it difficult for SANParks to realise a 9% increase per annum for its expected contribution to the South African target of 2800 individuals. For southern white rhinos, SANParks requires 5% annual growth for its contribution to the South African target of 20 400 individuals. To continue to evaluate the achievement of these targets, SANParks needs annual population estimates relying on total counts, mark-recapture techniques and block-based sample counts to track trends in rhino populations. SANParks’ primary challenge in achieving its contribution to South Africa’s rhino conservation targets is associated with curbing poaching in Kruger National Park.Conservation implications: The status and trends of rhino species in SANParks highlight key challenges associated with achieving the national targets of South Africa. Conservation managers will need to improve the protection of southern white rhino, while the Department of Environmental Affairs need to be made aware of the challenges specifically associated with not achieving targets for south-central black rhino. Outcomes for south-western black rhino have already realised and the good conservation efforts should continue.

scholarly journals Reflections on the relationships between communities and conservation areas of South Africa: the case of five South African national parks

Koedoe ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
T.S. Simelane ◽  
G.I.H. Kerley ◽  
M.H. Knight
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Golden Gate ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Conservation And Management

An evaluation of the relationships between communities around Addo Elephant National Park, Mountain Zebra National Park, Karoo National Park, Golden Gate Highlands National Park and Vaalbos National Park shows that these communities have limited ecological knowledge and understanding of resources occurring within the parks. People within these communities rate relationships with their neighbouring parks as relatively poor. Despite this, these communities are keen to support conservation and management of biodiversity through national parks. The study further revealed that two types of communities occur around the national parks of South Africa. These are neighbouring and the distant communities. The distant communities are more urban in character than the neighbouring communities. These communities are heterogeneous with people from a variety of cultures. The varying lifestyle, age groups, cultural backgrounds and income levels lead to differences in expectations from the national parks by these communities. This, which is critical in determining the level of appreciation of conservation of biodiversity by communities around conservation areas, requires the attention of the park managers. They need to ensure that when distributing the benefits or opportunities linked to conservation, cultural, income and education differences among communities are considered and used as the basis for development and implementation of community development projects.

scholarly journals The relationship between drought and tourist arrivals: A case study of Kruger National Park, South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fhumulani I. Mathivha ◽  
Ndivhuwo N. Tshipala ◽  
Zanele Nkuna
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Rainfall Data ◽  
Correlation Relationship ◽  
Standardised Precipitation Index ◽  
Tourism Attractions

National parks around the world have been recognised as important sources of nature experiences for both local and international visitors. In South Africa, national parks are similarly important recreational and nature tourism attractions. They offer visitors an unparalleled diversity of tourism opportunities, including game viewing, bush walks and exposure to culture and history. South African National Parks (SANParks), established in 1926, is one of the world’s leading conservation and scientific research bodies and a leading agent in maintaining the country’s indigenous natural environment. The study aims to analyse the correlation between drought and the number of tourist arrivals to the Kruger National Park (KNP). Rainfall data, as well as data on tourist arrivals at KNP for the period from 1963 to 2015 were obtained from the South African Weather Services (SAWS) and SANParks, respectively. Rainfall data were used to determine the drought years at the KNP through computing the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) for various stations around the park. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used as a statistical measure of the strength of a linear relationship between drought and tourist arrivals. The results showed that KNP experienced both negative and positive tourist arrivals, although the former was the case, tourist arrivals showed an increasing trend. The correlation relationship showed that 19.36% of the drought years corresponded to a negative change in tourist arrivals to the park. The results obtained confirm that the tourism industry is a fragile industry which is prone to environmental, social and economic state of a region.

scholarly journals New records of 43 spider species from the Mountain Zebra National Park, South Africa (Arachnida: Araneae)

Koedoe ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Survey ◽  
National Park ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
New Records ◽  
Nature Reserves ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Spider Species

This study forms part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA), initiated in 1997 with the main aim to create an inventory of the arachnid fauna of South Africa (Dippenaar-Schoeman & Craemer 2000). One of the objectives of SANSA is to assess the number of arachnid species presently protected in conserved areas in the country. Check lists of spiders are now available for three national parks, three nature reserves and a conservancy. These areas include: Mountain Zebra National Park (Dippenaar-Schoeman 1988); Karoo National Park (Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. 1999); Kruger National Park (Dippenaar- Schoeman & Leroy 2002); Roodeplaatdam Nature Reserve (Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. 1989); Makelali Nature Reserve (Whitmore et al. 2001, 2002); Swartberg Nature Reserve (Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. 2005); and the Soutpansberg Conservancy (Foord et al. 2002).

scholarly journals A METHODOLOGY FOR EXAMINING GEOTOURISM POTENTIAL AT THE KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 209-217
Author(s):  
Khoḓani MATSHUSA ◽  
◽  
Peta THOMAS ◽  
Llewellyn LEONARD ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
National Database ◽  
The South ◽  
Ecological Sensitivity ◽  
Field Methodology

In contrast to Europe, Asia and South America where geotourism is actively pursued, geotourism activities in South Africa have not to-date been a focus of tourism products. The purpose of this paper is to propose a field methodology that can be used to assess the potential for geotourism development. Existing procedures to establish geotourism site potential are reviewed and a new methodology that accounts for more characteristics than currently found in documented methods is proposed. This consists of three phases: creating a standardised manner of inventorying the sites; standardising field rank scoring for each site by geotourism value, cultural value, ecological sensitivity, accessibility, de velopment requirements, currently available academic literature, and, developing a final multi-site database assisting the South African National Parks to preserve geoheritage sites. Based on previous studies, the Kruger National Park has geoheritage sites that could form the basis for geotourism development: therefore, the methodology was piloted in its northern regions at well-known geoheritage sites. The findings of this study intend to assist the South African National Parks, local community leaders, the private sector (including existing tour operators) and government departments in achieving a national database of geoheritage sites to ultimately be associated with sustainable tourism activity led by local communities.

scholarly journals A check list of the spider fauna of the Karoo National Park, South Africa (Arachnida: Araneae)

Koedoe ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna S. Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽  
Astri Leroy ◽  
Marie De Jager ◽  
Annette Van den Berg
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Habitat Preference ◽  
National Park ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Check List ◽  
The South ◽  
Spider Species ◽  
Number Of Species

A check list of the spider species of the Karoo National Park collected over a period of 10 years is presented. Thirty-eight families, represented by 102 genera and 116 species have been collected. Of these species, 76 (66.4 ) were wanderers and 39 (33.6 ) web builders. The Araneidae have the highest number of species (14) followed by the Thomisidae (10) and the Gnaphosidae (8), while 14 families are represented by a single species. Information on spider guilds, their habitat preference and web types is provided. This study forms part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA).

scholarly journals Vegetation change (1988–2010) in Camdeboo National Park (South Africa), using fixed-point photo monitoring: The role of herbivory and climate

Koedoe ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mmoto L. Masubelele ◽  
Michael T. Hoffman ◽  
William Bond ◽  
Peter Burdett
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Fixed Point ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
National Park ◽  
Vegetation Change ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Management Interventions

Fixed-point photo monitoring supplemented by animal census data and climate monitoring potential has never been explored as a long-term monitoring tool for studying vegetation change in the arid and semi-arid national parks of South Africa. The long-term (1988–2010), fixed-point monitoring dataset developed for the Camdeboo National Park, therefore, provides an important opportunity to do this. Using a quantitative estimate of the change in vegetation and growth form cover in 1152 fixed-point photographs, as well as series of step-point vegetation surveys at each photo monitoring site, this study documented the extent of vegetation change in the park in response to key climate drivers, such as rainfall, as well as land use drivers such as herbivory by indigenous ungulates. We demonstrated the varied response of vegetation cover within three main growth forms (grasses, dwarf shrubs [< 1 m] and tall shrubs [> 1 m]) in three different vegetation units and landforms (slopes, plains, rivers) within the Camdeboo National Park since 1988. Sites within Albany Thicket and Dwarf Shrublands showed the least change in vegetation cover, whilst Azonal vegetation and Grassy Dwarf Shrublands were more dynamic. Abiotic factors such as drought and flooding, total annual rainfall and rainfall seasonality appeared to have the greatest influence on growth form cover as assessed from the fixed-point photographs. Herbivory appeared not to have had a noticeable impact on the vegetation of the Camdeboo National Park as far as could be determined from the rather coarse approach used in this analysis and herbivore densities remained relatively low over the study duration.Conservation implications: We provided an historical assessment of the pattern of vegetation and climatic trends that can help evaluate many of South African National Parks’ biodiversity monitoring programmes, especially relating to habitat change. It will help arid parks in assessing the trajectories of vegetation in response to herbivory, climate and management interventions.

scholarly journals 'Hidden messages' emerging from Afrocentric management perspectives

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Van den Heuvel
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
South African ◽  
The Body ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Local Management ◽  
Valuable Contribution ◽  
Corporate Values ◽  
Management Discourse ◽  
Research Findings

Purpose: This paper aims to examine how 'African management' discourse has emerged in South Africa. Altogether, it has stimulated debates - sometimes in controversial ways - on 'taboo issues', e.g. relating to 'cultural diversity' and 'ethnicity'. The stimulation of such debates within organisations is probably a more valuable contribution than a static, essentialised 'African identity' that it proclaims. Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper draws on a qualitative research project conducted in South Africa in 2003-2004. Its relevance lies in gaining in-depth insights into ('non-western') local management discourse. It seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge on political and cultural contexts in which South African organizations operate, and how they impact on local management perspectives, and vice versa. Findings: The research findings make clear how and under what circumstances 'African management' discourse has come about in South Africa, and how it could be interpreted. Implications: 'African management' advocates allegedly attempt to revise dominant management thinking and promote 'humane-ness' and participatory decision-making in South African organisations, in search of a contextualised management approach. Amongst others, it has produced new meanings of 'Africanness' and has opened up space for 'hidden messages', resentments and aspirations to become openly articulated. This throws another light on phenomena such as cultural diversity and ethnicity that usually tend to be 'neutralised'. This may turn out to be far healthier for blooming organisational cultures in South Africa than relentlessly hammering on prescribed 'corporate values'. Originality/Value: This paper informs the reader in detail about the emergence and evolvement of 'African management' discourse in South Africa. It is a unique attempt to develop an interpretative viewpoint on this intriguing phenomenon that offers a potentially valuable contribution in reading cultural and ethnic identities within organisations.

scholarly journals The re-introduction of springbok Antidorcas marsupialis into South African National Parks – A documentation

Koedoe ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. De Graaff ◽  
B. L. Penzhorn
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Golden Gate ◽  
Antidorcas Marsupialis

The introduction and establishment of springbok populations in four South African National Parks are discussed. Springbok have failed to establish themselves in the Addo Elephant National Park but are thriving in the Mountain Zebra, Golden Gate Highlands and Bontebok National Parks, although the latter Park is extralimital to their original range.

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