The North West Parks and Tourism Board is committed to the upliftment of the quality of life in the North West Province through the conserving of wild plants, animals and landscapes for the benefit of the people. To accomplish its mission, four main strategies have been adopted by NWP&TB:

• to obtain the commitment of the province for the conservation of wildlife resources;
• to participate in the planning of land use in the province and where appropriate develop and manage national parks and game reserves cost-effectively and to the benefit of wildlife conservation and people;
• to facilitate the development of wildlife-related industries for the social and economic benefit of the people; and
• to develop human resources for the benefit of wildlife conservation and the people.
   

The Establishment Of The Board

The North West Parks and Tourism Board has its roots in the development of the Pilanesberg National Park in the late 1970’s. In terms of the National Parks Act No. 24 of Bophuthatswana, passed in 1987, the Board as it stands today was established “for the purpose of managing proclaimed parks and controlling the use of renewable natural resources outside such national parks”. Although the Act provides a broad framework within which the Board can operate, it is vitally important to establish more focused objectives and to have a clear and unambiguous mission statement to help direct the Board’s activities. The mission statement is indispensable, yet it must be flexible enough to accommodate the rapid changes in the social, political and economic climate that is presently sweeping southern Africa.
 

The Estate Of The Board

The Board is presently responsible for two national parks, three game reserves, one recreation site and one heritage site. Pilanesberg National Park, our oldest reserve, is located approximately 60 km north of Rustenburg. The resorts of Sun City and Lost City lie outside the Park on its southern boundary. Borakalalo National Park is found to the east of Pilanesberg about 60 km north of Brits. Madikwe Game Reserve, the largest of all our parks and reserves, is found 80 km north of Zeerust on the Botswana border, while Botsalano Game Reserve is located approximately 40 km north of Mmabatho. The third game reserve, Mafikeng Game Reserve, is found immediately east of Mafikeng, while the Lotlamoreng Recreation Site is located a few kilometres west of Mafikeng. Both the Mafikeng Game Reserve and the Lotlamoreng Recreation Site, together with a strip of intervening land along the Molopo River, comprise what is known as the Mmabatho Greenbelt Development. The Taung Heritage Site is located approximately 75 km south of Vryburg.