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Eastern Cape nature reserves are under mounting pressure from chronic underfunding, failing infrastructure and deteriorating tourism facilities, raising fears for the future of conservation in the province.
But both the board of Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism (ECPTA) and the provincial department of economic development, environmental affairs and tourism (Dedeat) have brushed off fears of closures and job losses.
The board says it is busy with internal cost-cutting by “prioritising essential services and critical operations” based on its available funds.
The crisis stems from declining annual Dedeat allocations and reduced budgets.
But the board and the department are adamant that the gates of Eastern Cape reserves “remain open and ready to welcome visitors”.
ECPTA communications manager Oyanga Ngalika confirmed that the 17 reserves it managed employed 474 staff, including 169 rangers.
The EMS Foundation, in its 2025 national case study of Eastern Cape reserves, pointed to widespread issues at resorts across the province caused by their financial shortfalls, including poor maintenance, infrastructure failures, staff shortages, limited accommodation and some closed to the public or with only limited public access.
Dr Div de Villiers, former Green Scorpions director, alleged that the reserves were on the verge of complete collapse.
He said 70 ECPTA rangers and support staff were recently cut off in the remote wilderness after the recent storms with no resources to mount a rescue.
ECPTA had to turn to the private sector for help, and private conservation and disaster response organisations stepped in with crucial aid, from gas bottles to food and blankets.
In Drinkwaterskloof, rangers were airlifted to safety.
Four private sector wildlife and tourism organisations have expressed concern over the agency’s funding.
They cited:
- Failing conservation standards, with buffalo and eland escaping over collapsed fences;
- Paltry earnings of around only R25m a year despite 600,000 hectares of unmatched plant and animal biodiversity;
- Chronic operational funding shortages. Vehicles are broken, facilities are in disrepair, staff cannot perform basic duties, roads are not maintained and alien plants are taking over;
- A dramatic spike in the risk of poaching, vandalism, and theft;
- Declining budget allocation in the face of ECPTA’s inability to pay staff for two months in 2025; and
- Low staff morale among staff who are being rendered helpless in the face of threats facing the reserves.
ECPTA and Dedeat, in a joint statement to the Dispatch by ECPTA board chair, advocate Sonwabile Mancotywa, said: “ECPTA is currently engaging internally on organisational and operational matters relating to the prioritisation of services within the current financial environment.
“Over a number of years, the agency has continued operating within a constrained funding environment and has historically supplemented operational requirements through additional funding mechanisms and grant support.
“Current financial pressures have, however, required management and governance structures to reassess operational priorities against the resources available to the agency.
“The current approach is therefore focused on prioritising essential services and critical operations within the budget currently available.”
The Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency was allocated R281.597m in 2026/2027 and R741.225m over the 2026 medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) for the implementation of climate change adaptive strategies, biodiversity and conservation initiative and tourism initiatives.
Included was R55.834m for the Sanral-funded N2 Biodiversity Offset Project.
Mancotywa said their statement “should not be interpreted as ECPTA ceasing to operate or closing parks and venues”.
“ECPTA is not shutting down operations,” he said.
“The organisation is implementing operational prioritisation and cost-containment measures as part of broader efforts to align services and activities with available resources …
“Core functions including conservation responsibilities, reserve management and protection of biodiversity assets remain priorities and continue receiving attention …
“ECPTA tourism operations and facilities continue operating, and the Eastern Cape remains open and ready to welcome visitors.”
Boundary fences are down on many parks, tourist facilities are in a state of disrepair, vehicles are broken, and reserve staff are unable to perform even the most basic duties
De Villiers, now chair of the Wild Coast Development Forum, said consistent budget cuts were preventing ECPTA from performing efficient conservation work.
“Boundary fences are down on many parks, tourist facilities are in a state of disrepair, vehicles are broken, and reserve staff are unable to perform even the most basic duties.
“On most of the reserves, roads are not maintained and invasive plants are infesting the natural landscape.
“Staff morale is visibly low because they are helpless.
“Field rangers form the core of any protected area. They patrol 24/7 in all weather conditions in rugged terrain …
“They are often exposed to dangerous animals and suffer insect bites, sun and windburn and frostbite.
“The biggest danger is from poachers and smugglers …
“Rangers need decent uniforms, protective clothing, radios, cellphones, binoculars, night vision equipment, tents and sleeping bags … these items are either non-existent or decrepit and in need of constant repair.
“It is unacceptable that rangers do not have equipment and transport to perform their functions.
“A parks board … needs competent reserve managers with sufficient, well-trained and well-resourced field rangers."
He said private game reserves were already assisting in protecting rhino in the flagship Great Fish River Nature Reserve and the private sector was rallying to step into the breach, with one ray of light being the partnership between the private sector and communities around the Mkambati Nature Reserve.
Mark Andersen, chief executive of private sector provincial tourism nonprofit ECTour, said ECPTA had barely tapped the tourism potential of 600,000ha of land and marine reserves across seven of SA’s nine biomes.
“Many reserves suffer from questionable conservation standards,” he said.
“With self-generated revenue stuck at roughly R25m per year and chronic operational funding shortages, the agency faces a serious risk of increased poaching, vandalism, and theft.
“The province’s greatest natural asset is in real danger.”
Wild Coast Holiday Association chair William Ross said the decline of the reserves showed “a complete lack of regard towards environmental protection and underlines the failure to manage tourism facilities”.
Natalie van der Mescht, of the East Cape Game Management Association, said ECPTA’s resource constraints had resulted in problems with the upkeep of fencing.
“We know of instances where buffalo and eland have escaped.”
Rhino fencing, however, was still prioritised.
“The wildlife industry is in constant communication with ECPTA, and when issues arise, private industry tries to assist where possible.”
Agri-EC chair and chief executive Brent MacNamara said problems with fencing and poaching were an obvious concern, but declined to comment without specific details. — additional reporting by The Herald
Daily Dispatch
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