Africa Wild

https://www.iol.co.za/news/opinion/seni ... k-16761954

Johannesburg - My wife and I have been regular visitors to the Kruger National Park ever since we married in 1965. In those days, we could afford to visit up to three times a year.
When we progressed to well over 70, we were grateful for the senior citizens discount we originally received.

Then one year they drastically cut the concession and we found that we would only receive the benefit at certain times of the year.

The better concessions were given from about January 15 to March 19 and also from October 10 to November 28.

Note that these dates are at the hottest time of the year.

The third concession is from about May 5 to June 13, which doesn’t include most of the better camps in the park and is basically for camps north of Satara.

Looking at the senior citizen discounts for 2019, I note that they have reduced the discount during the May-June period at Pretoriuskop and Shimuwini from 40% down to 20%, and removed Malelane entirely.

SANParks is obviously doing its level best to get rid of senior citizens, even though we have supported them for more than 50 years.

Their prices without discount are prohibitive for most average senior citizens.

About four or five years ago they also discontinued issuing wild cards to over-70s. Would it really have crippled SANParks financially to have kept on giving wild cards to senior citizens?

I had ideas of celebrating my 80th birthday at the end of March next year in the Kruger, but that is now possibly only a pipe dream.

I can see that soon we senior citizens will be saying “thanks for nothing, SANParks”.

Wesley Stevens

Joburg

SANParks responds:

The senior citizen discount framework is revised on an annual basis, and as per SANParks pricing policy done so on yielding principles.

This implies that facilities that operate at increasing occupancies will have their discounts reduced, while facilities that operate at diminishing occupancies will have their discounts increased.

SANParks is reliant on its own revenue to a very significant degree in order to execute and fund its mandate of managing national parks on behalf of South Africans.

This in an environment of growth in expenses (for example, anti-poaching) at a higher rate than growth in revenue.

We acknowledge the difficulty that many South Africans, including senior citizens, have in affording to visit and/or stay in national parks.

We try to make it possible for as many as possible income groups to access their natural heritage by, among others, maintaining the budget accommodation in many camps, even the very popular ones such as Lower Sabie and Skukuza.

We further believe that the framework provides ample opportunity for senior citizens to still choose an attractive itinerary at discounted rates in the Kruger National Park (and others) over the indicated timeslots (https://www.sanparks.org/docs/tourism_t ... nt2018.pdf).

I trust that Mr Stevens will understand our position and that financial sustainability is of crucial importance to the well-being of SANParks and hoping that he will be able to enjoy the national parks for many more years to come.

Joep Stevens

General Manager, Revenue and Yield, SA National Parks

* The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

Go to hell, SANParks. Money-grubbing vultures. As Phillips said: "We can charge what we want, they will come." The only problem is "they" are becoming only the wealthy. So much for making Kruger accessible to all its owners.

Prices have been increasing annually at sometimes double the inflation rate for more than a decade now.

The elderly have paid SP for 50 years, as said, and are now expendable.

Yeahh , exactly
Seniors have supported them , but since discounts are mostly for the hottest time of the year , they are now basically being sent to hell

Sanparks should be ashamed of themselves

The answer is also without any warmth nor charme at all

It’s become all about the money

I have noticed posts on other platforms though where people are saying that there seems to be much more available in KNP than historically over the next 11 months, although for the July holidays this certainly isn’t the case, but it may be an early reflection of the fact that in the current economy Sanparks are pricing themselves out of the market.

It could be that block bookings by private tour companies are also not getting filled, as economy pinches?

The crisis is going to touch everything and everybody in SA and Sanparks has exaggerated the raise of the prices lately. It is getting expensive for foreigners also and there are many more options today than 10 years ago

Yes , certainly , they are pricing themselves out of the market . It appears that Sanparks do aim their pricing based on strong currencies , however , with recent strength in the SARand , obviously it would have become less competitive , specifically related to other main currencies .
It is possible that they are following a specific strategy only known to themselves , but it is a fact that increased pricing in the face of your competition does have an effect of lowering demand for your product , i.e your customers then tend to go elsewhere that is more competitive .
And , the longer you persist in increasing your prices , the more your regular customers seek relief elsewhere , with the possibility that you may permanently lose a large market share , and which you may have great difficulty in regaining again .

If it wasn't for Africa Wild and the persons/friends involved, I would certainly not have chosen the Kruger for this coming winter. Rather Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia or Tanzania. Or maybe rather Costa Rica.

okie wrote: ↑Tue Aug 28, 2018 9:44 am Yeahh , exactly
Seniors have supported them , but since discounts are mostly for the hottest time of the year , they are now basically being sent to hell

...No there are 4 Periods of 6 weeks each for pensioners ..We are going now in one of them next week ..3 weeks camping at Tsendze (About R 220 per night in a PROPER Camp) certainly NOT in the hottest part of the year ..Mid Aug (WINTER) to late Sept (Spring) ..Most Pensioners are campers and the camping areas are Full during this out of school holiday periods enjoying a 40% discount ...The expensive part for us is not the Accommodation at 40% discount but the 2-3 days drive from PE to Kruger = PETROL and Dog Kennels ..If you dont camp ..cant help you as yes they don't give much of a discount for huts and most POPULAR tourist trap camps dont ever offer anything ..Moral of the story ..Camp ..It keeps you YOUNG and fit and you get to sleep in your OWN bed and you get 40% off 4 times a year in any camp