Tourist attraction destinations such as the Augrabies Falls at the Augrabies National Park and the flowers in the Namakwa National Park have become the centre of attention. Whilst a number of tourists visit the province to enjoy some diverse cultural experiences, mountainous views, and flowers, the province cannot shy away from how hard the industry has been hit by the Covid-19 and lockdown regulations. 

The manager of the Augrabies National Park, Angela Isaks, tells OFM News the park's geography, which includes the waterfall and big rocks, is a big asset that keeps tourists coming and she is hopeful they will recover losses incurred due to the pandemic.

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"Many people come back and they tell me that ‘you know what, this was such a good healing exercise’ – especially now with Covid, and the knock Covid gave us, emotionally or physically or whatever the case may be – people come here to take a break. They always come here to repair themselves."

She adds that level five of the national lockdown hit them hard: "Covid knocked us, because since March 2020 until July 2020 we were closed – I think it was level 5. And gradually when the park reopened, the domestic visitors really flocked into the park. So we had no income for a couple of months, but SanParks did.

"All our colleagues and all our staff members are still protected, no one lost their jobs."

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The park, situated about 120km west of Upington, covers an area of 820 km² and stretches along the Orange River. The waterfall is about 60 metres high. The original Khoikhoi people named the waterfall Ankoerebis, meaning the "place of big noises". The Trekboers who later settled in the area, however, derived the name Augrabies.

Isaks says other services provided at the park include games drives, hiking trails, and bird viewing, amongst others.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Tourism Month celebration is expected to be held at the Riemvasmaak on Friday, with the Northern Cape Tourism Authority seeking to promote domestic travel and encourage residents to travel in their own province.

OFM News