South Africa’s Treasures: Discover the New UNESCO World Heritage Sites

HHow to experience it

All locations around Johannesburg and Pretoria are easily accessible, and you can add them to your stay. There are multiple tours including at least one of these sites, so you can take your pick! In the Eastern Cape, you can visit the University of Fort Hare and the ZK Matthews House, which are under 2 hours away from East London.

If you plan to visit Bloemfontein in the Free State, you can visit the Waaihoek Wesleyan Church.

Visitors heading to Durban in KwaZulu-Natal can explore the Ohlange Institute, just 30 minutes from the city centre.

TThe Begginings of Humanity

For prehistory buffs, a trip to visit the fascinating archaeological sites forming "The Emergence of Modern Human Behaviour: The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa" is recommended. This site comprises three locations: the Diepkloof Rock Shelter and Pinnacle Point Complex in the Western Cape, and Sibhudu Cave in KwaZulu-Natal. As of August 2024, you can visit both locations in the Western Cape, while the third location in KwaZulu-Natal is not yet open to the public. The province is working to ensure that visitors can access it soon. According to UNESCO, these locations “provide the most varied and best-preserved record known of the development of modern human behavior, reaching back as far as 162,000 years.”

Diepkloof Rock Shelter, Pinnacle Point Complex, and Sibhudu Cave are key sites forming part of "The Cradle of Human Culture," an inter-provincial initiative aimed at informing the public of South Africa's rich culture and heritage through a journey of discovery. This initiative traces how Homo sapiens began to innovate culturally, socially, and behaviorally. Explore the Artists’ Route in the Cape West Coast (Weskus) to discover Diepkloof Rock Shelter alongside rock art in the Cederberg, the West Coast Fossil Park, riel dancers, and the !Khwa ttu San Culture & Education Centre. Alternatively, explore the Coastal Journey, which will take you to various coastal caves in the Cape Overberg and Garden Route regions, including the Pinnacle Point Site Complex in Mossel Bay.

HHow to get there

If you’re planning to explore the Garden Route, you can book a cave visit to the Pinnacle Point Complex or a full-day hiking tour. You can easily drive there from George in under 40 minutes. Make sure to book in advance here.

For those heading to the Cederberg area, located around 2.5 hours from Cape Town, we recommend starting the day at the Elands Bay Museum to learn more about the history before making your way to the Diepkloof Rock Shelter. You can also book a guided tour by sending a WhatsApp message to (+27)724474936 (as of 2.08.2024).

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