Jakarta:Eastern Cape Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister David Maynier has officially designated 18 properties in the Eastern Cape, encompassing 10,225.9242 hectares, as the Grasslands National Park. This announcement was formalized in Government Gazette No. 55531 under Government Notice No. 8002.
According to South African Government News Agency, the park is located in the highlands of the Eastern Cape, between Nqanqarhu and Rhodes. It aims to protect under-represented grassland ecosystems and is part of the Eastern Cape Drakensberg Strategic Water Source Area. These regions are crucial for water security, biodiversity, and the livelihoods supported by agricultural activities in the area.
The management of the new Grassland National Park has been assigned to South African National Parks (SANParks) under section 38(1)(aA) of the National Environmental Management Protected Areas Act, 2003. This declaration follows a notice of intention published in 2025 and the conclusion of the statutory process required by the Act, transitioning the area from a proposed protected zone to an officially declared national park.
Minister Maynier emphasized the significance of the park's declaration, highlighting it as a vital step in safeguarding one of South Africa's least-protected biomes and a strategic water source landscape. He noted the benefits of conservation and productive land use reinforcing each other through long-term partnerships.
The park's establishment primarily through biodiversity stewardship allows participating landowners to retain ownership while committing to conservation and management agreements. This model supports both ecological protection and local livelihoods through compatible agricultural activities.
As the first national park established under a biodiversity stewardship model, this initiative showcases how inclusive partnerships can propel large-scale conservation efforts. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and SANParks, alongside World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF South Africa) and various partners, played key roles in coordinating the park's establishment.
