Kruger Park wants to ban 19-year-old for drifting his Mercedes and posting videos about it
SANParks has threatened to withdraw a viral rule-breaker’s access to South Africa’s national parks, but it is unclear how it would enforce this ban given its current manual entry systems.
TikTok and Instagram user Petrus Janse van Rensburg recently came under fire after posting videos of himself driving recklessly in the Kruger National Park with a red Mercedes-Benz.
The clips showed Van Rensburg drifting his red Mercedes-Benz on the park’s gravel roads and speeding through a low-water bridge on a road that was closed due to recent flooding.
Several videos were also filmed from outside the vehicle in parts of the park where visitors were not allowed to exit their cars.
He also appeared to be driving over the park’s maximum speed limit of 50km/h in one clip that showed him overtaking another vehicle.
However, Janse van Rensburg said he never exceeded the park’s speed limit and only exited his vehicle to check the depth of the water flowing over the bridge because it was the only route to their camp.
SANParks’ employees also came under fire for encouraging Janse van Rensburg to pull away at speed at one gate.
Janse van Rensburg frequently posts videos claiming he achieved millionaire status at 18 years old using “brand scaling.”
SANParks criticised his behaviour in the videos as “blatant disregard for conservation regulations, public safety, environmental protection measures, and the authority of park management.”
Following severe public backlash to his videos and SANParks’ criticism, Van Rensburg published an apology video on Instagram.
“I’ve loved the Kruger Park my whole life. I understand why this created a reaction, and I take it seriously. I hear you. I apologise,” he said in the video statement.
“My goal has always been to help young South Africans build something for themselves, not to set the wrong example. I’ll do better.”
SANParks did not regard the apology as sufficient to avoid punishment. It subsequently said it launched an investigation to trace and identify Janse van Rensburg.
SANParks weighing charges
Janse van Rensburg mocked SANParks for implying that its search was a manhunt, when his name and information, including his licence plate number, were available on his Instagram and TikTok pages.
“I’m literally one DM away, and now they are acting like I am on the run,” he said. “What if this was someone who didn’t have a number plate and social media, how is SANParks ever going to find them?”
In the most recent update, SANParks head of communications and spokesperson JP Louw confirmed that authorities had traced the driver and others involved in the incident.
The state-owned entity said it was in the process of formulating charges against the perpetrator. “We are at the stage of listing the different offences committed, which will inform the desired sanction,” he said.
While SANParks previously threatened to withdraw Van Rensburg’s access to all its parks, it is unclear how it could enforce such a measure.
Van Rensburg already promised to take three winners of a competition he is running to the park, suggesting he is not deterred by SANParks’s threats.
MyBroadband asked SANParks how it would enforce its withdrawal of park access, but it did not provide feedback by the time of publication.
IDs not being checked on entry
Visitors to SANParks are required to manually fill out a form with their personal information, including first name, surname, and ID number.
A frequent visitor on the official SANParks Facebook group said she believed that SANParks kept a digital record of visitors’ history at its parks.
“The booking official at Groenkloof once made a remark to the effect that she can see we are long-time visitors,” they said.
“I think they do keep a record of fines. I don’t think they will share that info, though. At entry, you declare your ID as well as those of your passengers, and the car registration number.”
However, numerous other visitors to the Kruger National Park have pointed out that officials don’t verify the details against an actual ID document.
“They do not check IDs at the gates anymore,” one user said. “I know of people who have been banned who just use other friends’ client codes to enter.”
Unless the provided information is verified against a reliable database, such as those maintained by Home Affairs, any visitor could make up this information when they visit the park.
Digital entry system already used at one park
The Kruger National Park is highly popular among international tourists, who would need to present their passports. However, Home Affairs also keeps track of visitors entering and leaving the country.
Therefore, a digital entry system which verifies whether the passport being processed is from a person legally in the country could also be of benefit.
SANParks already rolled out a digital entry system at Table Mountain National Park on 10 February 2026. However, the purpose of that system does not appear to be security-related.
The organisation announced it would use digital ID scanning at the Cape Point and Boulders Penguin Colony entrances to enable accurate tariff application where discounted rates for locals apply.
That system does not support the scanning of foreign passports. “Only South African citizens’ IDs will be scanned for localised differentiated rate purposes,” it said.
MyBroadband sent a query regarding the system to SANParks on 17 February. Despite several follow-ups, SANParks had not responded three months later.
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