Gazetted in 2005, it encompasses a preserved ecosystem including the former Saadani game reserve, the former Mkwaja ranch area, the Wami River as well as the Zaraninge Forest.

The total extent of SGR is said to have been approximately 209 km2 (81 sq mi), however, the SGR official gazette document states that it comprised approximately 300 km2 (120 sq mi),[4] The vagueness of the language used in the reserve's official gazette,[4] but also TANAPA's early interventions to develop its own map of the reserve, and its interests in Saadani's sub-villages’ prime coastal lands have come to challenge Saadani's coastal sub-villages’ rights to lawfully inhabit their traditional territories, and have led to chronic political and other battles to demand presently gazetted park lands rescinded, the reestablishment of land rights to traditional inhabitants, and to demand from TANAPA to honour commitments made earlier by Wildlife Division.

However, of all the villages, it is Saadani which faces the greatest challenges on the gazetting of a large part of its coastal territory which, by all accounts, has been done unilaterally.

At present, and after more than a decade of institutional struggles, Saadani village has resisted TANAPA's various approaches to take possession of the now sub-village's gazetted territory and have consistently demanded that their land rights be restored, and continue to reiterate that they are not going to give their traditional territory for any amount of compensation money.

[6] Such community assertions and actions certainly challenge traditional conceptions of economic gain as the central motivation in park community-conflicts, and suggest that deeply rooted spatial-cultural territorial connections are as essential as and perhaps even more important to people's collective welfare than material benefits.

[citation needed] Saadani's wildlife population is increasing during recent years after it has been gazetted as a National Park and was a hunting block beforehand.

Wildlife in Saadani includes four of the Big Five, namely lions, African bush elephants, Cape buffaloes and leopards.