Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town, the first botanic garden in the world to be devoted to a country's indigenous flora, has reduced its fees for SADC and African Nationals from August 2021.
From August 1, Kirstenbosch’s dual pricing will include a discounted garden entry rate for African nationals and Southern African Development Community (SADC) nationals.
The 16 SADC member states include Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Kirstenbosch's new pricing structure means that entry fees for adults from outside Africa remain R200. South African residents and SADC nationals will pay a discounted rate of R80, and African nationals will pay R120. All learners aged 6 to 17 years will pay R25 and children under 6 enter free irrespective where they reside.
Students over 18 years and from a South African institute need to show their student card to qualify for the South African student rate.
"To qualify for the discounted entry ticket rate, South African residents, SADC Nationals and African Nationals must present their ID, a certified paper copy of their ID, driver’s licence or passport. High-quality electronic copies are also suitable," the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden said.
What to do
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden offers great experiences for travellers.
To begin your adventure, start with the Conservatory, a desert house with a majestic baobab tree in its centre, succulent treasures and weird welwitschias, also known as tweeblaarkanniedood.
Then, take a walk on the treetops on the Tree Canopy Walkway, aka “The Boomslang”, and be on the look out for birds and life-size sculptures of dinosaurs lurking behind giant cycads in the Cycad Amphitheatre.
On the Fynbos Walk, you’ll spot many kinds of flowering proteas. Be sure to visit the African art in the Sculpture Garden.
Also, tackle one of the trails through the Kirstenbosch Estate, with five trails to choose from. All are well-maintained, logged footpaths or gravel roads and are sign-posted.
The Braille Trail and Boekenhout Trail are ideal, easy, forest walks for those pressed for time and the not-so-fit. The Stinkwood Trail is a relatively short exploration of the oldest part of the forest with some of the largest trees.
The Yellowwood Trail and Silvertree Trail are long, strenuous hikes that take you up to the waterfall and around the estate, through indigenous forest and fynbos. It is possible to climb Table Mountain from Kirstenbosch, up Nursery Ravine or Skeleton Gorge.