Kruger National Park to get a quarter of its power from renewables without building on park land
Under a sponsorship deal, clean electricity generated elsewhere will be delivered through South Africa's national grid. SANParks calls it a pilot that could extend to other parks.
Skukuza — Kruger National Park will receive renewable electricity equal to more than a quarter of its annual consumption under a sponsorship agreement between South African National Parks (SANParks) and the energy supplier Ampli Energy, the Mail & Guardian reports.
The park uses about 29 million kilowatt hours a year. The deal covers more than 7.25 million of them.
Power without panels
The electricity will be generated outside the park and delivered through the national grid. That avoids building large solar or wind installations on conservation land.
Ampli Energy was launched in May 2025 by Discovery Green and the energy and chemicals company Sasol. It supplies renewable power to about 24 businesses at more than 200 sites across South Africa, among them the restaurant chain Nando's and the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital.
According to the newspaper, the idea began with a roadside conversation near the park's Phalaborwa Gate between Andre Nepgen, chief executive of Discovery Green, and his colleague Dan Ginsberg.
Why Kruger matters
Kruger accounts for 70% of the emissions from the electricity SANParks buys. It also generates roughly 80% of the organisation's operating budget through tourism.
SANParks' chief executive, Hapiloe Sello, describes the arrangement as a pilot that could be extended to other national parks. The organisation says it supports its conservation mandate while reducing carbon emissions and the effect of power cuts on park operations.
Kruger, on South Africa's border with Mozambique and Zimbabwe, is one of the continent's largest and most visited game reserves.
This report is based on reporting by the Mail & Guardian.
