South African National Parks (SANParks) is preparing to recall its hospitality staff for a phased-in approach for the reopening of its overnight facilities following an announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that accommodation providers could resume operations in  Advanced Level 3 of lockdown.

This is according to SANParks CEO, Fundisile Mketeni, who said the President's address brought “good news to SANParks and many nature lovers who for the past three months have been yearning to visit their favourite national park”.

“However, we urge those who cannot wait to book into our accommodation to exercise a bit of patience as SANParks readies itself for the reopening.”

He said SANParks would approach the opening of its accommodation facilities responsibly to ensure that the gains made by South Africa in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic were not compromised.

Mketeni said the process of recalling staff in preparation for the reopening was yet to commence. “Once the process is in place, we will immediately activate the re-training of staff on new operating protocols in line with industry standards.”

He added that the safety of both staff and guests was critical. “We have to ensure that we are in compliance with regulations as well as health standards and protocols. We will announce the dates for the reopening of accommodation bookings in the next few days.”

Meanwhile, provincial borders in South Africa remain closed with industry stakeholders pushing for a reopening soon.