The Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site, is located remarkably less than an hour from both Johannesburg and Pretoria, and yet feels eons away from the big city. The rolling hills covered in swishing grass and the nearby Magaliesberg are enough to make the Cradle of Humankind a worthy destination for tourists and city dwellers seeking peace and tranquillity.
Besides its serenity, the Cradle of Humankind has produced some of the most prolific fossils of human ancestors on earth. In addition, some of Gauteng’s best accommodation, restaurants, outdoor attractions, wedding, conference, arts and culture, wildlife and other venues are located in and around Gauteng’s only World Heritage Site. The Cradle of Humankind and its surrounds are easiest to explore by car as the World Heritage Site extends over 53 000 hectares, so distances to the different attractions vary.
For visitor orientation the Cradle of Humankind boasts a world-class visitor centre in Maropeng and along with the world-famous Sterkfontein Caves (R563 Hekpoort Road, Sterkfontein), provides visitors with an exciting overview of the area’s great fossil discoveries and the extent of the site’s World Heritage.
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Maropeng, which means ‘returning to the place of origin’ in Setswana, the native language spoken in the area, is the official visitor centre for the Cradle of Humankind and therefore the gateway to the World Heritage Site. Apart from being an official country getaway (as a visitor centre) for the family, the centre offers boutique and separate kiddies’ or student accommodation,
Housing the largest and some of the oldest scientific collections in the southern hemisphere, the Museum is currently undergoing extensive renovations that will enable unique public viewing of the collections, scientists and specimen preparators.
This natural World Heritage Site and home to one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature is a haven of magnificent mountains plunging into crystal seas fringed with the white sands of the Cape Peninsula. The park stretches from Signal Hill in the north to Cape Point in the south, and is also home to the world’s smallest, yet most diverse, floral
