PEACE PARKS PROJECTS
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Construction of Mata Mata Tourism Access Facility
The Namibian Government requested Peace Parks Foundation's assistance with the funding and construction of their immigration facility at Mata-Mata and WWF-Netherlands agreed to be the sponsor of this project. The Namibian facility was completed in time for the official opening on 12 October 2007. The facility on the South African side had already been built thanks to the South African government's poverty relief fund.
To give visitors to the park an alternative route to either Namibia or South Africa, the Mata-Mata Tourist Access Facility was officially opened by President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia, President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and President Festus Mogae of Botswana on 12 October 2007.
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The opening of Mata-Mata and Sendelingsdrift (16 October 2007)are key to the success of a strategy for desert tourism, which explores the natural linkage between |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld and Kgalagadi transfrontier parks and South Africa's Augrabies Falls National Park. Added to this list will be Namibia's 26 000km² Sperrgebiet, about to be declared a national park. Having been inaccessible for a century has allowed it to become a store of biodiversity, which links up with the Namib-Naukluft National Park to the north.
Kindly note that usage of Mata-Mata requires a stay of two nights in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. This regulation will be strictly enforced and no commercial traffic will be allowed.
Tourists from Namibia may make use of Mata-Mata as day visitors to or to stay in Kgalagadi without checking in with the border officials at Twee Rivieren as long as they return to Namibia. Should they, however wish to leave the park to go to Botswana or South Africa, they would need to go through passport control at Twee Rivieren.
As Kgalagadi has a high occupancy rate, visitors are advised to make their bookings well in advance.
OPERATING HOURS OF MATA-MATA IN NAMIBIA:
Summer and winter 8:00 - 16:30
For more information, kindly contact +27 (0)54 561-2000