Kruger's Mugg & Bean and Wimpy are gone as SANParks hands four camps to new operators
SANParks says the appointments at Lower Sabie, Pretoriuskop, Berg-en-Dal and Skukuza followed a competitive tender and coincide with the expiry of the previous concession agreements.
Four restaurant sites in Kruger National Park are changing hands, with the South African National Parks (SANParks) announcing new operators at selected camps as part of what it describes as its ongoing efforts to enhance the visitor experience and invest in world-class tourism facilities.
The appointments, confirmed in a statement on Monday, follow what SANParks calls a transparent and competitive tender process that attracted several leading hospitality brands. The agency says the appointments coincide with the expiry of the previous concession agreements.
The changes reach some of the park’s best-known stops. The former Mugg & Bean at Lower Sabie will reopen as Sabie River Café. The Wimpy at Pretoriuskop becomes Le Lapeng Burgers and Grill. Tindlovu Restaurant at Berg-en-Dal will be transformed into Eziko Eatery. At Skukuza, the Cattle Baron will be refurbished to give it a fresh look and feel rather than replaced.
For visitors driving those routes in the coming months, SANParks says temporary dining facilities offering limited menus will be available during the refurbishment periods to ensure continuity of service. The agency and the respective operators apologise for any inconvenience caused by the upgrades and say they appreciate visitors’ patience and understanding.
SANParks expects the new operators to bring fresh concepts, investment and energy to some of the park’s most popular camps, and says the appointments will contribute to economic growth, job creation and an enhanced tourism offering in Kruger National Park. It says it looks forward to unveiling the upgraded facilities in the coming months.
The statement does not name the incoming operators, does not put a rand value on the investment, and does not set out a schedule for when each site will reopen. It also does not say how many jobs are expected to be created. Those details sit with SANParks and the operators it has appointed.
This report is drawn from the government’s own summary of the appointments, published by SAnews (South African Government News Agency) at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/sanparks-announces-new-restaurant-operators-kruger-national-park, rather than from the tender record itself.
