Public–Private Partnerships in South African National Parks: The Rationale, Benefits and Lessons Learned - Responsible Tourism: Critical Issues for Conservation and Development - page 47

the world. SANParks' mission is to develop and manage a system of national
parks that represents the biodiversity, landscapes and associated heritage assets of
South Africa for the sustainable use and benefit of all. As a public entity, the
organization is committed to act in pursuance of the transformation of South
Africa's society in support of entrenching South Africa's democracy. In this
regard the organization has adopted a transformation mission to guide its efforts
accordingly. The transformation mission is designed to ensure an effective trans-
formation both within SANParks and in the broader society and economy,
through the implementation of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment
(BBBEE) in support of the Constitution of South Africa.
To put the transformation objective in perspective, it is important to under-
stand the context of South Africa. For over 400 years the country was ruled by a
white minority and for 50 years prior to 1994, the government had structured
Apartheid laws that prevented the participation of the black majority of South
Africa from the economy. Black people were also stripped of their land and the
majority of 40 million black people were relocated from their homes to land that
covered less than 20 per cent of the country, and to areas that were often arid and
barren. The social injustices that took place over the years need to be reversed,
and the current government has introduced a BBBEE policy through the
country's constitution. Any people from the black population (i.e. people of
African, Asian and mixed race), who did not have voting rights until 1994, are
described as historically disadvantaged individuals (HDIs).
From a funding perpective, SANParks receives an annual subsidy from
Government which funds 20 per cent of its operational requirements (about
R600 million [≈US$80 million]), and the balance of its funding requirements are
self-generated through its tourism industry. All revenues generated in national
parks are retained and applied to the execution of its mandate, as determined by
the Board of Trustees.
SANParks' key strategic objectives
The primary mandate of the organization is the conservation of South Africa's
biodiversity, landscapes and associated heritage assets through a system of
National Parks. In addition, the organization has a significant role to play in the
promotion of South Africa's nature-based tourism, or ecotourism business,
targeted at both international and domestic tourism markets. The ecotourism
pillar of the business architecture provides for the organization's self-generated
revenues from commercial operations that is necessary to supplement govern-
ment seed funding of conservation management. A significant element of the
ecotourism pillar is the Commercialization Strategy, which has as its objective
reducing the cost of delivery, improving service levels by focusing on core
business and leveraging private capital and expertise in addition to the expansion
of tourism products and the generation of additional revenue for the funding of
conservation and constituency building.