As the world commemorates World Tourism Day today, September 27, South Africa is joining in celebrations highlighting the country’s growing tourism opportunities.

Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille, accompanied by key figures from the Department of Tourism, South African Tourism (SAT), Northern Cape Tourism and other stakeholders, is leading the celebrations in Carnarvon, Northern Cape – an area chosen for its astro-tourism significance.

In this latest update from SAT, you'll discover how astro-tourism is flourishing in the Northern Cape alongside exciting new experiences and developments in related infrastructure.

As Tourism Month comes to a close, you can read about:

• The remarkable success of Sho’t Left Travel Week, which saw record-breaking traffic to the SAT Sho’t Left site and an unprecedented number of deals purchased.
• The South African National Convention Bureau’s plans for the country’s business events industry’s participation in IMEX America 2024.
• African nations driving the recovery of post-pandemic tourism with visitors from other parts of Africa making up most of South Africa’s tourist base through visa waivers for select countries driving the surge in travel and boosting tourism.
• Durban’s preparations for a vibrant summer season with enhanced safety measures and fresh tourism offerings sure to captivate visitors.

Astro-tourism boom in Northern Cape

Astro-tourism is emerging as a rapidly growing niche in South Africa’s Northern Cape province, drawing more than 20 000 local and international visitors annually. With its clear skies and desert-like landscapes such as the Karoo, Richtersveld and Kalahari, the region offers the ideal setting for stargazing, thanks to the lack of light pollution. At the centre of this booming industry is Sutherland, home to the South African Large Telescope (SALT), the largest optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. The site features an interactive visitor centre and tours of the many telescopes found in and around the town. A private planetarium in town projects short documentaries on the origins and wonders of the universe onto a dome.

Tourists can book day-time SALT tours and experience night-time stargazing sessions either through the South African Astronomical Observatory or private operators offering sky-viewing and deeper insights into the mysteries of the universe.

Astro-tourism can also be combined with game viewing, town walks and other experiences in and around Sutherland.

Rogge Cloof, a private nature reserve just outside Sutherland, offers luxury accommodation, South Africa’s highest vineyards and a range of activities including stargazing and astrophotography, mountain biking, fossil tours, cycling, volcano hiking and cheetah tracking. Wine enthusiasts can also enjoy tastings in the bush.

Sutherland is one end of the astro-tourism corridor, which stretches to Carnarvon, home of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) – a radio telescope of immense scientific importance.

Access to the SKA is restricted due to its sensitivity to electronic interference. However, special open days (twice or three times a year during maintenance breaks) offer limited public tours. These events are highly sought after and often over-subscribed but seeing one of the massive SKA dishes up close is described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Although the SKA site is closed to tourists, Carnarvon has trained astro-tourism guides from the local community who take visitors on fascinating heritage walking tours and short donkey cart rides through town. After dark, they tell indigenous stories about the stars passed down through ancestral oral storytelling while tour participants stargaze through telescopes.

Along the astro-tourism corridor are the towns of Fraserburg, Loxton, Williston and Victoria West where historical and cultural attractions are well worth exploring.

New astro-tourism developments

Another significant development in the region is !Ae!Hai Kalahari Heritage Park – the ancestral home of the ǂKhomani San and Mier communities. In April 2019, DarkSky International declared the park an International Dark Sky Sanctuary. It is one of only a few such sanctuaries worldwide. The park is part of the 38 000 square kilometre Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park straddling the borders of South Africa and Botswana.

Johann van Schalkwyk, Director of Tourism Development for the Northern Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, said the province is partnering with South African National Parks (SANParks) to develop astro-tourism infrastructure in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. A stargazing dome is set to be built at the Mata Mata Rest Camp near the Namibian border with completion expected by March 2025. SANParks guides are being trained to offer astro-tourism experiences in the park.

“Astro-tourism in the Northern Cape offers more than just stargazing. It’s a cultural experience that connects visitors with the land, its people, its history and the universe. With visitor numbers on the rise and more private operators entering the market, this sector holds exciting potential for tourists and the local economy alike,” Van Schalkwyk pointed out.