Must-see attractions in Southern Africa

  • Mua Mission Church

    Malawi

    Ask at the Kungoni Centre of Culture & Art for the key to this brick building dating to 1907. The exterior has carved wooden doors and painted panels…

  • Intaka Island

    Cape Town

    Intaka means ‘bird’ in Xhosa and you can see 120 feathered species, as well as 200-plus plant species, at this 1600-sq-metre wetland reserve. Learn about…

  • Vaal Dam

    Gauteng

    Around 77km south of Jo'burg is South Africa’s second-largest dam by area. With over 800km of coastline covering three states, it is hugely popular with…

  • Bambelela

    Limpopo

    This private rehabilitation centre, the work of Silke von Eynern and established in 2003, is a testament to persistence. After her husband's death in 1997…

  • Marloth Nature Reserve

    Western Cape

    Perched in the Langeberge, 1.5km north of town, this reserve is particularly pretty in October and November when the ericas are in flower. If the day…

  • Thunder Walker

    Johannesburg

    Inside century-old Somerset House, a former bank office, Thunder Walker is a bar/restaurant/events venue with a historic twist. The building's interior is…

  • Noon Gun

    Cape Town

    At noon, Monday to Saturday, a cannon is fired from the lower slopes of 350m-high Signal Hill, which separates Sea Point from the City Bowl; you can hear…

  • Tsumeb Mining Museum

    Namibia

    If you normally skip museums, make an exception here. Tsumeb’s story is told in this museum, which is housed in a 1915 colonial building that once served…

  • Prestwich Memorial Garden

    Cape Town

    Along the Walk of Remembrance (formerly known as the 2010 World Cup's Fan Walk) is this attractive public space dotted with a collection of quirky…

  • Alexandra Heritage Centre

    Johannesburg

    This architecturally striking museum – it's built on either side and on top of a busy street – in Alexandra, Jo’burg’s oldest township, finally opened in…

  • Natal Sharks Board

    KwaZulu-Natal

    This research institute is dedicated to studying sharks, specifically in relation to their danger to humans. There are audiovisual presentations and shark…

  • Union Buildings

    Pretoria

    Designed by Sir Herbert Baker, these sweeping sandstone buildings are the headquarters of government and home to the presidential offices. They're not…

  • Agulhas National Park

    Western Cape

    Africa's southernmost national park has exceptional birdwatching possibilities and hikes ranging from 3km to 10km in length. Recommended is the 5.5km…

  • Johannesburg Art Gallery

    Johannesburg

    Fenced off from the southern end of sketchy Joubert Park is this elegant Lutyens-designed gallery dating from 1915. The JAG has one of the largest art…

  • Donkin Reserve

    Port Elizabeth

    This pleasant hilltop park is a good place to get your bearings, particularly if you climb to the top of the lighthouse. The pyramid is a memorial to…

  • Panveld

    Namibia

    Forming an arc east of Tsumkwe is a remote landscape of phosphate-rich pans. After the rains, the largest of these, Nyae Nyae, Khebi and Gautcha (all at…

  • St Michael and All Angels Church

    Malawi

    This magnificent red-brick Church of Central Africa Presbyterian building was preceded by a simpler structure, built by Scottish missionary Reverend DC…

  • Cape Town Holocaust Centre

    Cape Town

    This small museum packs a lot in with a considerable emotional punch. The history of anti-Semitism is set in a South African context with parallels drawn…

  • German Fort & Museum

    Namibia

    Historical settler history is depicted here through some fascinating black-and-white photos. The Himba, Kavango and Mbanderu collections of artefacts and…

  • Praça dos Heróis Moçambicanos

    Maputo

    The large Praça dos Heróis Moçambicanos, along Avenida Acordos de Lusaka near the airport, is notable for its 95m-long mural commemorating the revolution…

  • Museum of Malawi

    Malawi

    Malawi’s interesting national museum has a few gems, including a royal ceremonial stool dating from the 16th century and a display on Gule Wamkulu dances…

  • Moordkoppie

    Namibia

    The historical animosity between the Nama and the Herero had its most emphatic expression at the Battle of Moordkoppie (Afrikaans for ‘Murder Hill’) on 23…

  • Ngonye Falls

    Zambia

    Home to the beautiful and impressive Ngonye Falls, this park would be a major attraction if it wasn’t so difficult to reach. Imagine something almost as…

  • Trans-Namib Transport Museum

    Windhoek

    Windhoek’s beautiful old Cape Dutch–style train station on Bahnhof St was constructed by the Germans in 1912, and was expanded in 1929 by the South…

  • Stone House Museum

    Malawi

    The fascinating museum in Stone House (once the home of Livingstonia founder Dr Robert Laws, and now a national monument) tells the story of the European…

  • Nirox Foundation

    Gauteng

    This gorgeous sculpture park marks an evolutionary advancement for South African creative arts. Leading local and international sculptors, painters and…

  • Solms-Delta

    Franschhoek

    In addition to tastings and sales, various heritage tours are available at this excellent winery. The museum here covers Cape history and tells the Solms…

  • Manyeleti Game Reserve

    Kruger National Park

    During the apartheid era, the 23,000-hectare Manyeleti was the only wildlife reserve that blacks were permitted to visit. Due to its unfenced boundary…

  • Paquitequete

    Pemba

    If you only visit one of Pemba's bairros (townships), make sure it's Paquitequete, located beside the bay downhill from the centre. Dominated by its…

  • National Museum

    eSwatini (Swaziland)

    This museum has some interesting displays of Swazi culture, as well as a traditional beehive village and cattle enclosure, and several of King Sobhuza II…

  • Sandy Bay

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    This particularly beautiful stretch of sandy beach is roughly a 15-minute walk to the south from the Sunset Rocks parking area at Llandudno. As Cape Town…

  • National Botanic Gardens

    Harare

    If you thought Harare couldn't get any more relaxed, you clearly haven't visited its botanical gardens. Spread over 68 hectares, it's an extremely…

  • Public Garden

    Cape Town

    Planted with a fine collection of botanical specimens, including frangipanis, African flame trees, aloes and roses, the Public Garden is the centrepiece…

  • Cullinan Diamond Mine

    Gauteng

    Open pit mining for diamonds started here in 1903. Two years later the largest rough gem diamond ever found – a 3106-carat whopper – was unearthed here…

  • Tokara

    Stellenbosch

    Tokara is renowned for its excellent wines – particularly chardonnay and sauvignon blanc – and for its upmarket restaurant (mains R210 to R260; bookings…

  • Temple of Understanding

    Durban

    Situated in Durban’s west, this is the biggest Hare Krishna temple in the southern hemisphere. The unusual building is designed in the shape of a lotus…

  • Sibuya Game Reserve

    Sunshine Coast

    A few kilometres north of Kenton-on-Sea, Sibuya is a wonderfully scenic place to see a variety of wildlife, including a few lions, white rhinos, elephants…

  • National Archives of Zimbabwe

    Harare

    Founded in 1935, this building is the repository for the history of Rhodesia and modern Zimbabwe. It's worth a visit to see artefacts, photos, accounts of…

  • Ha Kome Cave Houses

    Lesotho

    The Ha Kome cave houses are an anomaly in this area, 21km from Teyateyaneng (TY) and several kilometres from the village of Mateka. These extraordinary…

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