South African National Parks (SANParks) says it has increased its Table Mountain National Park conservation staff by 43% in the past two years, raising the number of rangers in the park to 111.

The Sea, Air, and Mountain Special Operations Ranger Unit has also grown from 18 to 40 rangers since 2021.

SANParks Chief Executive Officer Hapiloe Sello has lauded the role played by rangers in the conservation of national parks.

She was speaking in Cape Town during an event at the Table Mountain Park to honour rangers killed or injured in the line of duty.

Sello elaborates, “These are people who are playing a significant role in conservation in ensuring the integrity of protected areas, and as we always say, without rangers there are no protected areas, and without rangers we cannot speak of national parks, so we, as SANParks, regard rangers as literally a pivot of the entire system.”