South African National Parks (SANParks)

South African National Parks (SANParks) is the public entity responsible for managing South Africa’s national parks, from the Kruger National Park to Table Mountain National Park. SANParks protects millions of hectares of the country’s most important natural and cultural heritage and reports to the Minister responsible for forestry, fisheries and the environment.

Registered name

South African National Parks (SANParks)

Type

Public entity (national parks and conservation)

Fields funded

Environmental sciences, tourism, engineering, social sciences, artisan trades and scarce skills

Website

sanparks.org

Phone

012 426 5173

More than wildlife

SANParks’ parks range from savanna and desert to mountains, forests and coastline. Kruger, first protected as the Sabie Game Reserve in 1898 and proclaimed a national park in 1926, is SANParks’ best-known park. Managing parks involves far more than rangers: SANParks employs scientists, veterinarians, tourism and hospitality staff, engineers for roads, water and camps, and artisans who maintain infrastructure, while fighting problems such as rhino poaching and alien plant invasion.

Conservation that benefits neighbours

Many communities living next to national parks are rural and historically under-resourced. SANParks’ approach treats conservation as something that must directly benefit these neighbours rather than protecting land at arm’s length, according to a provider record checked in August 2026. The External Bursary Programme is one way SANParks puts that idea into practice, and it doubles as an economic development tool and a pipeline for SANParks’ own future workforce.

The external bursary

SANParks’ external bursary funds young people from communities adjacent to national parks for undergraduate diplomas, degrees and trade qualifications at public universities, universities of technology and TVET colleges. Funded fields include environmental sciences, tourism, infrastructure and engineering, social sciences, artisan trades and emerging scarce skills. The programme sets a household income cap and requires applicants to live near a national park, keeping the benefit concentrated in the communities SANParks’ work affects most.

Timing

The 2027 external bursary opened on 17 July 2026 and closed on 21 August 2026. Applicants who have not heard by 30 January 2027 should consider their applications unsuccessful. Watch SANParks’ website from mid-2027 for the next round.

How to research SANParks

SANParks’ website blocked automated reading when BursariesAfrica checked, so read it in a browser. Find out which national park borders your community and whether the park has a community forum, which often shares opportunities. Explain in your motivation how your studies could help both the park and your community.

Conservation students should also see our environmental engineering bursaries list.