African Wildlife & Environment Issue 80

DESTINATIONS

Reaching for the sky in the MAGALIESBERG BIOSPHERE RESERVE

The Hartbeespoort Aerial Cableway, originally constructed in 1973, is a 1.2 km long cableway that extends to the top of the Magaliesberg mountains and offers panoramic views of the range to the east, south and west, Hartbeespoort Dam and the surrounding areas. It was a top visitor attraction for overseas travellers and residents, and quickly became a popular paragliding and hang-gliding destination. But by 2005 the cableway had fallen into a state of disrepair and was closed.

In 2010, Zargodox (Pty) Ltd began a private initiative with the aim of growing tourism in the Hartbeespoort area, and purchased the old cableway. In collaboration with Swiss company Rowema AG, Zargodox invested time and expertise into rejuvenating the old installation and bringing the area back to life. Fourteen six- seater hi-tech cable cars, new galvanized cabling, touch-screen technology, auto-cabin spacing, and conveyor programming technology was

Article & photographs: JohnWesson

Sweeping views of Hartbeespoort Dam and surrounding areas

49 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 80 (2021)