Up your game SANParks. We deserve better for our rands.

We returned to SA from New Zealand for a visit and I am bitterly disappointed with the state of the Addo elephant park we visited in January 2025. Although the buildings appeared at the face of it neat and maintained, the reality was not so. Upon visiting the bathrooms, there were mismatched taps which you could see were hastily repaired without much care. Now you may not think that is much, but the broken window policy says that if you don’t take care of the little things, the big ones suffer.

The park in general was shabby. Elephants were fighting for water in the smallest of muddy holes while warthogs and their babies competed for the mud. Yes it was kinda cute to see the wildlife competing for mud, but a ranger friend who was with us said this was not the way things should be.

The roads were in a really bad state in places and even at 40kph the dangerous potholes, ditches and ruts were a huge hazard.

I am happy to pay the exorbitant fees if the money was going towards the welfare and comfort of animals and humans alike.