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Table Mountain National Park

Park Profile

One of 22 Parks in the South African National Parks (SANParks) stable, the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) was established in 1998. Unlike the other Parks the TMNP is surrounded entirely by a City and for this reason it is fragmented by urban development and privately owned land. This, combined with the fact that it is primarily an open access Park with only three managed pay points, has resulted in it being the most visited of all National Parks receiving an annual quota of 4.2 million visits annually.

Prior to the establishment of the Park, a 30 000 hectare area of conservation-worthy land on the peninsula was identified as the Cape Peninsula Protected Natural Environment (CPPNE). Currently the TMNP includes 25 000 hectares of the CPPNE and it is our goal to incorporate the remaining 5 000 hectares into the Park. The TMNP's jurisdiction also includes 1 000 km2 of the seas and coastline around the peninsula.

Vision and Mission

The vision of Table Mountain National Park is A Park for All, Forever and our goal is to be recognised as the world's premier urban national Park by 2010. Please download our plan for more insight in to how our vision translates into biodiversity conservation, social development and financial sustainability.

Download document

Economic Facts and Figures

A recent study (2004) by UCT’s Graduate School of Business (GSB) shows that over the last six financial years, TMNP has made a contribution of R377 million to SA’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of which around R132 million as gone into the Western Cape province.

Download  the TMNP Economic Impact Assessment

Tourism Value

The above figures do not account for the positive effect the Park has on Cape Town’s tourism economy. It is not possible to put a figure on how much is spent in Cape Town as a direct result of the presence of the Park but it is difficult to imagine that our City would be as popular without its spectacular scenery, unique biodiversity and numerous recreational opportunities.

Wesgro estimates that in 2002/2003 foreigners invested around R550 million in the Western Cape tourism economy, which in turn, creates local employment and SMME opportunities.

Funding

The TMNP has various sources of funds the primary agencies being South African National Parks (SANParks) and the City of Cape Town.

When the TMNP was established in 1998 it was funded internationally by the Washington-based Global Environmental Facility (GEF). This was a six-year tranche of funding dedicated to start-up costs and alien clearing. Another source of early funding was the French Fonds Francais Pour L'Environnement (FFEM).

Now both tranches of international funding have been successfully spent and the Park has moved onto funding projects through a three-year Expanded Public Works grant from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

Working for Water, an Expanded Public Works Programme administered by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) funds the TMNP's alien clearing initiatives.

 



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