S
Sanparks
Unclaimed Business
S
Sanparks
Unclaimed Business
17 Reviews (last 12 months)
Does not respond to reviews
AI Review Summary
Based on recent customer reviews, Sanparks faces widespread criticism for its customer service and administrative operations. Refund delays, unanswered emails, and excessively long call centre wait times are recurring frustrations. Accommodation quality at certain camps, notably Berg en Dal and Tsitsikamma, drew complaints about cleanliness, maintenance failures, and poor management responses. The online booking system and WildCard portal are described as unreliable and outdated. However, visitors consistently praise the natural beauty of the parks, and camps like Pretoriuskop and those in the Karoo and Kgalagadi regions earn recognition for friendly staff and well-maintained facilities.
Performance(last 12 months):
TrustIndex
0
Ranking
#9
in Travel & Vacation
NPS Score
-34
Recommended: Unlikely
Review Distribution
1.6|17 Reviews
May '25 - Apr '26
5(6.3%)
4(6.3%)
3(0%)
2(25%)
1(62.5%)
5(6.3%)
4(6.3%)
3(0%)
2(25%)
1(62.5%)
Frequently Asked Questions About Sanparks
Based on recent customer reviews, Sanparks faces widespread criticism for its customer service and administrative operations. Refund delays, unanswered emails, and excessively long call centre wait times are recurring frustrations. Accommodation quality at certain camps, notably Berg en Dal and Tsitsikamma, drew complaints about cleanliness, maintenance failures, and poor management responses. The online booking system and WildCard portal are described as unreliable and outdated. However, visitors consistently praise the natural beauty of the parks, and camps like Pretoriuskop and those in the Karoo and Kgalagadi regions earn recognition for friendly staff and well-maintained facilities.
Sanparks has a TrustIndex of 0 out of 10 on Hellopeter, based on 17 reviews in the last 12 months. Hellopeter has tracked Sanparks across 204 total reviews. How is the TrustIndex calculated? →
Recent reviews (17)
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Share Your ExperienceWE
Wulf E
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
19 Feb 2026, 12:35
Refund still not received. Cannot follow up or escalate.
During the Jan 2026 floods my bookings could be changed to other available camps, for which I was entitled to a refund. Since I submitted a refund request on 5Feb (with all required documents), SANParks have marked my request as resolved, but I have not received a refund. There is no response to my email or calls.
Helpful (0)
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Wulf E
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
19 Feb 2026, 12:35
Refund still not received. Cannot follow up or escalate.
During the Jan 2026 floods my bookings could be changed to other available camps, for which I was entitled to a refund. Since I submitted a refund request on 5Feb (with all required documents), SANParks have marked my request as resolved, but I have not received a refund. There is no response to my email or calls.
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Sipho M
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
11 Feb 2026, 19:58
Requesting refund
I have cancelled my reservation with SANParks around November last year. Tried to call then for my refund but you will wait for hours for to go through. They will transfer to a line that is not working. Even send several emails no response. Their services is very poor
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Sipho M
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
11 Feb 2026, 19:58
Requesting refund
I have cancelled my reservation with SANParks around November last year. Tried to call then for my refund but you will wait for hours for to go through. They will transfer to a line that is not working. Even send several emails no response. Their services is very poor
0
Replies (0)DG
Daniel G
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
23 Jan 2026, 08:52
Sanparks booking system frustration!
Calling the Sanparks telephonic booking number is utterly frustrating! One has to hold on for VERY LONG periods! As example, on 21 and 22 and 23 January this year I spent a total of 3.5 hours listening to the digital voice message telling me "you are currently number 27 in the queue...." An hour later you hear "you are currently number 13 in the queue..." It is heart breaking! It seems there is only one person operating the call lines! The alternative of using the online booking system is equally frustrating with frequent gremlins and an non-user-friendly interface that sometimes lacks basic user logic. It is such a shame. We can make so much money from our National Parks (that are excellent) if our booking service is just better run!
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Daniel G
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
23 Jan 2026, 08:52
Sanparks booking system frustration!
Calling the Sanparks telephonic booking number is utterly frustrating! One has to hold on for VERY LONG periods! As example, on 21 and 22 and 23 January this year I spent a total of 3.5 hours listening to the digital voice message telling me "you are currently number 27 in the queue...." An hour later you hear "you are currently number 13 in the queue..." It is heart breaking! It seems there is only one person operating the call lines! The alternative of using the online booking system is equally frustrating with frequent gremlins and an non-user-friendly interface that sometimes lacks basic user logic. It is such a shame. We can make so much money from our National Parks (that are excellent) if our booking service is just better run!
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
13 Jan 2026, 06:06
No one works at Sanparks
For pensioner discount, one must email which is my preferred means. I wanted to book a rondavel at Ebb and Flow, Wilderness. No reply. Tried again no reply. Others here confirm that there is no communication. I think no one works there. Probably don't want people to stay so that they don't have to do any work. Just sit and wait for the next paycheck. BTW, all the rondavels were available when I wanted to book.
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
13 Jan 2026, 06:06
No one works at Sanparks
For pensioner discount, one must email which is my preferred means. I wanted to book a rondavel at Ebb and Flow, Wilderness. No reply. Tried again no reply. Others here confirm that there is no communication. I think no one works there. Probably don't want people to stay so that they don't have to do any work. Just sit and wait for the next paycheck. BTW, all the rondavels were available when I wanted to book.
0
Replies (0)K
Keegan
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
12 Jan 2026, 14:33
Poor Management and Unacceptable Staff Conduct at Boulders Beach
I am lodging a formal complaint regarding an extremely poor experience at Boulders Beach on Sunday, 12 January 2026. My family and I arrived just before 9am. I dropped my wife, daughter, and mother at the entrance so they could queue while I waited for parking. My wife paid for herself, our daughter, and my mother (using her green card), and informed the clerk that I would pay separately once I parked and collected the green card. This arrangement was clearly communicated and accepted. Due to severe congestion, parking took close to two hours. When I arrived at the entrance at approximately 11am to pay, a staff member immediately and rudely informed me that the beach was closed. I was repeatedly spoken over and not allowed to explain the situation. While my wife was standing with me at the entrance, several people were visibly leaving the beach, clearly indicating poor crowd control and management. I understand that allowing one person entry while others are queuing may appear unfair. However, I was a single individual rejoining my immediate family, who had already entered as one unit. This is fundamentally different from allowing new groups entry, many of whom arrived together or were meeting others inside. Despite this, the staff member refused to apply any discretion or common sense. She stated that she is not customer service but “law enforcement,” dismissed the parking issue as “not her problem,” and showed no empathy. When informed that this would require us to remove our child from the water and leave, the response was simply, “It is what it is.” There were also inconsistencies in enforcement, as other families were still being allowed entry despite the beach being deemed full, and several visitors mentioned that the road sign indicating closure was not visible. No refund was offered on site, and we were forced to leave and find an alternative venue. I would like to clarify that the original clerk who assisted my wife appeared unable to help due to being overruled by more senior staff. I do not believe she should be penalised. However, the conduct displayed by the staff member who handled this situation reflects extremely poorly on the management of what should be a world-class tourist destination. I request feedback from management on how this incident will be addressed and what corrective measures will be implemented to prevent a recurrence. I am not asking for special treatment, only fair treatment and the application of basic common sense.
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Keegan
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
12 Jan 2026, 14:33
Poor Management and Unacceptable Staff Conduct at Boulders Beach
I am lodging a formal complaint regarding an extremely poor experience at Boulders Beach on Sunday, 12 January 2026. My family and I arrived just before 9am. I dropped my wife, daughter, and mother at the entrance so they could queue while I waited for parking. My wife paid for herself, our daughter, and my mother (using her green card), and informed the clerk that I would pay separately once I parked and collected the green card. This arrangement was clearly communicated and accepted. Due to severe congestion, parking took close to two hours. When I arrived at the entrance at approximately 11am to pay, a staff member immediately and rudely informed me that the beach was closed. I was repeatedly spoken over and not allowed to explain the situation. While my wife was standing with me at the entrance, several people were visibly leaving the beach, clearly indicating poor crowd control and management. I understand that allowing one person entry while others are queuing may appear unfair. However, I was a single individual rejoining my immediate family, who had already entered as one unit. This is fundamentally different from allowing new groups entry, many of whom arrived together or were meeting others inside. Despite this, the staff member refused to apply any discretion or common sense. She stated that she is not customer service but “law enforcement,” dismissed the parking issue as “not her problem,” and showed no empathy. When informed that this would require us to remove our child from the water and leave, the response was simply, “It is what it is.” There were also inconsistencies in enforcement, as other families were still being allowed entry despite the beach being deemed full, and several visitors mentioned that the road sign indicating closure was not visible. No refund was offered on site, and we were forced to leave and find an alternative venue. I would like to clarify that the original clerk who assisted my wife appeared unable to help due to being overruled by more senior staff. I do not believe she should be penalised. However, the conduct displayed by the staff member who handled this situation reflects extremely poorly on the management of what should be a world-class tourist destination. I request feedback from management on how this incident will be addressed and what corrective measures will be implemented to prevent a recurrence. I am not asking for special treatment, only fair treatment and the application of basic common sense.
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Replies (0)MR
MARISKA R
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
11 Jan 2026, 06:48
Berg en Dal camp falling appart
Where does one start! Upon entry of the camp , the bat boxes are falling appart at the gate , camp grounds are not clean or maintained. Upon arrival at the camp on Thursday mid day , we got booked into chalet no 40. As soon as we opened the door we instantly saw a leaking fridge (whole kitchen floor was underwater) and then to make matters worse you were greeted with a disgusting mold smell and the filthyness of the chalet. As soon as we unpacked we also realised the toilet was leaking. We called the front desk and they sent maintenance , the guys rocked up with no tools and they looked like they crawled out of a sewer , no pride and no proper KNP uniforms. They left to get tools and came back an hour later to try and fix it , they said they fixed it and as soon as we checked it was still leaking. To make matters worse it rained that night as well and the thatch roof was leaking badly. No maintenance or proper cleaning is done at this camp at all. The next morning we went to complain and demanded we be moved to another chalet. The managers first response was " if you dont like it let me refund you then you can stay at a lodge outside of the kruger". Manager does not do her work or wear proper KNP uniform , we thought she was a customer like us as she was wearing a floral dress. Issues we had with no 40 * leaking toilet * broken fridge trays * leaking fridge * mold smell * thatch roof leaking on beds * pots and pans are filth and in disgusting state not fit for cooking * chalet is filthy with spider webs * dirty bedding * lack of maintennace as window brackets are broken , bathroon ceilings are falling appart due to water leaks , shower knobs are falling off , bath was so stained (looked like someone died in it) We got moved to unit 82 after we complained. When we told the manager we want to put a formal complaint in regarding the state of unit 40 , we got told that her boss will not be happy with it. So if you dont want complaints , why is the chalet in the state it is in and why dont you do your job! Unit 82 was in a better condition bit it also had issues * chalet is filthy with spider webs * lack of maintennace as window brackets are broken , bathroon ceilings are falling appart due to water leaks , shower knobs are falling off * holes at windows for squirrels to enter and ***** food On Friday night at around 11 pm the power went out for about 2 hours , we did not think much of it at first. At about 1 am on Saturday the power went off and did not come back on. We went to the reception on Saturday to ask and we got told that Berg and Dal has been without Eskom power since the 30th of December 2025 and they have been running off the generator since then but now its starting to overheat. We got told that the engineer is on his way and to give them until 4pm to sort. We drove around the whole day on Saturday only to return to camp to find out there was still no power , now we had meat and fridges full of food that was starting to defrost at this point due to the heat. We decided on Saturday night to eat at restruant as only half the camp then had power. At the restruant another couple was fuming as they booked in before lunch time went on a game drive and when they returned they found out via other residents that the camp had no power. Why did reception not inform them when they booked in?! On Sunday morning we had no power still and the engineer the manager said was comming out was a no show. On Monday morning the whol camp was off as the generator packed up. We went to reception along with a bunch of other residents to ask about getting moved to another camp or getting refunds so we can go home. We managed to get a chalet at Pretorius Kop and a few other people got space at Skukuza and Lower Sabie. The other people opted for refunds and left for home. When we got to Pretorius Kop , WOW. Camp grounds are clean , bat boxes in working order , even the chalet did not have a single spider web (not even outside on the stoep). Staff was dressed properly and you could see a clear difference between accomodation. Honestly Berg and Dal needs to catch a wake up call , they are useless and compared to Pretorius Kop , Berg en Dal looks like a garbage. Either management has to get restructured there or people just need to start doing their jobs. Considering that all camps in KNP fall under the same park and under SANparks i dont get how one camp can be falling apart and the other looks like 4 star , is there no service levels to ensure all camps are the same? Due to the managers lack of job duties , failure to train staff properly , failure to spot check, failure to do problem solving and overall lack of management , we will not be returning to this camp site. I suggest any future client to rather give this camp site a miss as its in shocking condition.
Helpful (0)
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MARISKA R
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
11 Jan 2026, 06:48
Berg en Dal camp falling appart
Where does one start! Upon entry of the camp , the bat boxes are falling appart at the gate , camp grounds are not clean or maintained. Upon arrival at the camp on Thursday mid day , we got booked into chalet no 40. As soon as we opened the door we instantly saw a leaking fridge (whole kitchen floor was underwater) and then to make matters worse you were greeted with a disgusting mold smell and the filthyness of the chalet. As soon as we unpacked we also realised the toilet was leaking. We called the front desk and they sent maintenance , the guys rocked up with no tools and they looked like they crawled out of a sewer , no pride and no proper KNP uniforms. They left to get tools and came back an hour later to try and fix it , they said they fixed it and as soon as we checked it was still leaking. To make matters worse it rained that night as well and the thatch roof was leaking badly. No maintenance or proper cleaning is done at this camp at all. The next morning we went to complain and demanded we be moved to another chalet. The managers first response was " if you dont like it let me refund you then you can stay at a lodge outside of the kruger". Manager does not do her work or wear proper KNP uniform , we thought she was a customer like us as she was wearing a floral dress. Issues we had with no 40 * leaking toilet * broken fridge trays * leaking fridge * mold smell * thatch roof leaking on beds * pots and pans are filth and in disgusting state not fit for cooking * chalet is filthy with spider webs * dirty bedding * lack of maintennace as window brackets are broken , bathroon ceilings are falling appart due to water leaks , shower knobs are falling off , bath was so stained (looked like someone died in it) We got moved to unit 82 after we complained. When we told the manager we want to put a formal complaint in regarding the state of unit 40 , we got told that her boss will not be happy with it. So if you dont want complaints , why is the chalet in the state it is in and why dont you do your job! Unit 82 was in a better condition bit it also had issues * chalet is filthy with spider webs * lack of maintennace as window brackets are broken , bathroon ceilings are falling appart due to water leaks , shower knobs are falling off * holes at windows for squirrels to enter and ***** food On Friday night at around 11 pm the power went out for about 2 hours , we did not think much of it at first. At about 1 am on Saturday the power went off and did not come back on. We went to the reception on Saturday to ask and we got told that Berg and Dal has been without Eskom power since the 30th of December 2025 and they have been running off the generator since then but now its starting to overheat. We got told that the engineer is on his way and to give them until 4pm to sort. We drove around the whole day on Saturday only to return to camp to find out there was still no power , now we had meat and fridges full of food that was starting to defrost at this point due to the heat. We decided on Saturday night to eat at restruant as only half the camp then had power. At the restruant another couple was fuming as they booked in before lunch time went on a game drive and when they returned they found out via other residents that the camp had no power. Why did reception not inform them when they booked in?! On Sunday morning we had no power still and the engineer the manager said was comming out was a no show. On Monday morning the whol camp was off as the generator packed up. We went to reception along with a bunch of other residents to ask about getting moved to another camp or getting refunds so we can go home. We managed to get a chalet at Pretorius Kop and a few other people got space at Skukuza and Lower Sabie. The other people opted for refunds and left for home. When we got to Pretorius Kop , WOW. Camp grounds are clean , bat boxes in working order , even the chalet did not have a single spider web (not even outside on the stoep). Staff was dressed properly and you could see a clear difference between accomodation. Honestly Berg and Dal needs to catch a wake up call , they are useless and compared to Pretorius Kop , Berg en Dal looks like a garbage. Either management has to get restructured there or people just need to start doing their jobs. Considering that all camps in KNP fall under the same park and under SANparks i dont get how one camp can be falling apart and the other looks like 4 star , is there no service levels to ensure all camps are the same? Due to the managers lack of job duties , failure to train staff properly , failure to spot check, failure to do problem solving and overall lack of management , we will not be returning to this camp site. I suggest any future client to rather give this camp site a miss as its in shocking condition.
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Chantelle B
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
2 Dec 2025, 08:15
Bad service SANPARKS
Had a double booking which I cancelled. Requested a refund to my bank account in the 21st of November. Still no reply on any of my emails requesting updates on the matter. When you phone you hold for over an hour as caller number one. The one time I did get through I was advised that the refund will take place the next working day which it did not. I can only imagine if this is the level of service international guests receive from our biggest tourist attraction in the country it can certainly have a negative impact.
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Chantelle B
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
2 Dec 2025, 08:15
Bad service SANPARKS
Had a double booking which I cancelled. Requested a refund to my bank account in the 21st of November. Still no reply on any of my emails requesting updates on the matter. When you phone you hold for over an hour as caller number one. The one time I did get through I was advised that the refund will take place the next working day which it did not. I can only imagine if this is the level of service international guests receive from our biggest tourist attraction in the country it can certainly have a negative impact.
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Chrismie Van der walt
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
20 Nov 2025, 18:37
Sanparks are the best
. Wonderful amenities! Proud to be South African with the friendly service at Karoo, Kgalagadi and Mokala as well as Augrabies. #Blackfriday
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Chrismie Van der walt
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
20 Nov 2025, 18:37
Sanparks are the best
. Wonderful amenities! Proud to be South African with the friendly service at Karoo, Kgalagadi and Mokala as well as Augrabies. #Blackfriday
0
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