South African national parks come to Google Street View
A team of nature-loving South Africans, in partnership with Google Street View and South African Tourism, have released a large collection of 360-degree imagery of the country’s wildest areas.
The announcement of 170 new trails in South Africa’s national parks and reserves follows on from The Mzansi Experience, launched in March 2016, which showcased prominent tourist attractions such as Kruger National Park, Table Mountain and Cape Point among others.
The new trails extend the existing Street View imagery of South Africa’s wilderness areas to include all 19 national parks, 17 previously ‘un-trekked’ nature reserves and many sites of natural, cultural and historical significance in all nine provinces of South Africa.
More than 200 South African volunteers from across the country were involved in the 12-month project, mapping out the parts of South Africa that they call home.
“The hundreds of volunteers who helped along the way proved to be truly passionate about showing the best of South Africa through their participation in the loan program,” said Magdalena Filak, program manager for Google.
The project forms part of Google’s Street View Camera Loan Program, which encourages anyone to apply to borrow the 360-degree camera technology and help map the planet.