Mzansi Experience: Google gives virtual tours of SA’s national parks

South Africa has some of the world’s best, and most diverse, national parks. Thing is, not everyone can get to them and even those who can sometimes end up going to the same places because they don’t know what else is out there.

In a bid to change that, Google South Africa on Tuesday announced the launch of Mzansi Experience — Discover South Africa. The new product, which is part of its Maps offering uses images collected by the Street View Tripod and Trekker and gives people the chance to explore some of South Africa’s most beautiful locations in 360 degrees.

The internet giant has also created virtual tours of some of these locations which, among other things, allow them to visit a family of elephants in the Kruger National Park, take a virtual walk on Table Mountain, admire Cape Point, or take a walk along Durban’s Golden Mile.

South Africa is just one of 66 countries in which this panoramic imagery is available.

“We are launching this imagery on Google Maps as part of a campaign to showcase the beauty of South Africa as a tourist destination for local and international travellers,” says Google SA communications and public affairs head Mich Atagana. “South Africa is home to some of the top tourist destinations in the world, home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites and home to the Kruger National Park – one of Africa’s largest game reserves. This imagery seeks to showcase the beauty of the country to those who are interested in virtually traveling here, and will hopefully to inspire them to visit in person.”

According to Atagana, Google is hoping to expand its efforts on this front in the near future. “We are excited about the many possibilities we have yet to explore,” she says, “and to bring more useful and beautiful imagery to Google Maps users around the globe.”

“SANParks is proud to partner with Google Maps, making use of its technology to improve accessibility to South Africa’s natural heritage,” says Reynold Thakhuli: Acting Head of Communications – SANParks. “Over the last few months, Google Maps has been collecting imagery in a number of national parks in order to bring a broad spectrum of the public closer to exciting wilderness features than they have ever been before.”

The Discover SA on Google Maps collection includes:

• Table Mountain National Park
• Cape of Good Hope
• Kruger National Park
• West Coast National Park
• Lion’s Head
• Signal Hill
• Golden Mile
• Sunset Beach
• Clifton Beach
• Hout Bay
• Llandudno Beach
• Camps Bay Beach
• Boulder’s Beach