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The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, David Maynier, has declared 18 properties in the Eastern Cape, as the Grasslands National Park.
The new park is situated in the Eastern Cape highlands between Nqanqarhu and Rhodes. It will help protect under-represented grassland ecosystems and part of the Eastern Cape Drakensberg Strategic Water Source Area.
“These landscapes are important for water security, biodiversity, and the livelihoods supported by the region’s working agricultural land,” Maynier said in a statement on Friday.
He also assigned the management of the new Grasslands National Park to South African National Parks (SANParks).
This followed the publication of a notice of intention in 2025 and the subsequent conclusion of the statutory process under the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act.
“The declaration of the Grasslands National Park is an important step in protecting one of South Africa’s least-protected biomes and a strategic water source landscape. It also demonstrates how conservation and compatible productive land use can reinforce one another through voluntary, long-term partnerships,” Maynier said.
The Department said the park was established primarily through biodiversity stewardship, where participating landowners retain ownership of their land while committing it to agreed conservation and management arrangements.
Conservation-compatible agricultural activities may continue, supporting both ecological protection and local livelihoods.
“This is the first national park established primarily through a biodiversity stewardship model. This initiative is an example of how inclusive partnerships can drive large-scale conservation success,” Maynier said.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment noted that SANParks and WWF South Africa played a leading role in coordinating the establishment of the park, together with a wide range of partners.
Staff Writer
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