Table Mountain National Park sees drop in robbery cases

South African National Parks (SANParks) says it is fully prepared to manage a surge in visitors to Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) during the upcoming festive season, following a year of rising visitor numbers and strengthened safety operations.

According to SANParks spokesperson JP Louw, the park has deployed 157 rangers across TMNP, working alongside the 40-member Sea-Air-Mountain (SEAM) special operations unit, SAPS, City Law Enforcement, neighbourhood watches, City Improvement Districts and volunteer safety groups.

The SEAM unit was boosted earlier this year with 24 additional rangers, six new operational vehicles and the introduction of drone technology to support patrols and firefighting.

Louw says the intensified joint safety operations are already showing results, with cases of robberies dropping from a spike of 15 incidents in March to single-digit figures from June to November.

Between June and November, 17 robberies were recorded, a significant improvement from the 37 reported during the same period in 2024. Attempted robberies also fell from 12 last year to eight this year.

“The trend in incidents also reflects successes such as the key arrests of individual repeat criminals, notably arrests made in April, May, September and November 2025.” added Louw

SANParks is also enhancing firefighting readiness, with ground teams, early-activated seasonal units and aerial support on standby. Fuel-reduction burns were completed during winter to reduce fire risk.

“Aerial firefighting resources have also been brought online earlier, launching in November rather than December as in past seasons.”

Visitors are encouraged to plan routes, hike in groups, carry essentials and keep emergency numbers on hand as TMNP prepares for another busy holiday season.