South Africa considers a name change for famous Kruger park

The name of the Kruger National Park refers to a former South-African president, who is seen as a controversial figure in the country’s history.

The Kruger National Park in South Africa welcomes some 1 million visitors per year and has obtained international fame for its unique wildlife. The popular safari spot is home to the so-called Big Five: lion, rhinoceros, elephant, leopard, and buffalo.

Before its establishment in 1926, the Kruger National Park already existed in another form since 1898, known as the Sabi Game Reserve. When the national park was officially created, however, the name was changed in order to honour the former president of the South African Republic, Paul Kruger.

Kruger functioned as State President of the South African Republic (or Transvaal) from 1883 to 1900. Being one of the main players during the fight against the British colonialists during the Second Boer War of 1899–1902, he has since become a symbol of resistance for Afrikaners, descendants of the European settlers during the 17^th century. Yet many others consider him to be a sorry reminder of the country’s racist past.

Kruger National Park, a key South African wildlife reserve, is central to debates on its namesake's historical legacy.

Proposals to rename the park highlight conflicts between preserving heritage and mitigating economic impacts.

Critics argue the name change could undermine the… pic.twitter.com/zORUHOp6BY

— Business Insider Africa (@BusInsiderSSA) October 15, 2025

Breaking with a tainted history

In September 2025, the South African opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has therefore entered a proposal in the Mpumalanga province legislature to change the name of the national park, following the example of many cities, towns, and roads that experienced a similar fate with the end of apartheid and the formation of South Africa’s democratic government in 1994.

“How do we celebrate our heritage as South Africans when we still have our beautiful national parks named after the architect of apartheid, Paul Kruger”, EFF representative Rhulani Qhibi said in a speech according to BBC News.

The EFF’s Statement on Heritage Day 2025

-As part of marking that the heritage of African people is not the celebration in public spaces of genocidal colonialists and land thieves, the EFF has introduced a motion in Parliament to remove all Apartheid statues and symbols from… pic.twitter.com/faOsUyKDSZ

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) September 24, 2025

Already, however, multiple parties have expressed their disapproval of a possible name change. For example, Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism CEO Linda Grimbeek spoke of the motion as “a joke”, while Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum stated it would oppose any attempt to change the name of the Kruger National Park. Part of their argumentation is the fact that a name change could possibly impact the visitor numbers of the park, with direct consequences on the country’s tourism industry and economy.

While the Mpumalanga Provincial Geographical Names Committee (PGNC) acknowledges the motion passed by the provincial legislature, South Africa’s Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation said that no formal application for the renaming of Kruger National Park has been submitted to the PGNC at this stage. The proposal is set to go through an extensive legal process managed by the South African Geographical Names Council, which could eventually lead to an official public consultation.