The wonder that is Table Mountain had another big milestone, celebrating 95 years since the first cableway started running. We look at the best moments celebrated on the mountain!
South Africa (07 October 2024) – Ninety-five years after the first visitors travelled to the top of Table Mountain in a wooden cable car, the world-famous Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) is still bustling and doing what it does best – providing visitors from near and far with a memory and a lasting experience.
The story thus far
In the years since its official opening (on 4 October 1929), the Cableway has undergone three major upgrades and regular maintenance. Today, it is a familiar feature of Cape Town’s famous flat-topped mountain, but not many people know how and why the project first got off the ground.
The Cableway’s history dates back to the 1870s when there were proposals to build a railway along the mountain’s slopes to make it easier for members of the public to reach the summit. Although the initial plan was to build a funicular railway, the development phase of the project was halted by the advent of World War I.
There was little movement until 1926, when Norwegian engineer Trygve Stromsoe proposed the construction of a cableway. This planted the seed for what we now know as the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway.
A host of icons, celebrities and royals are among the millions of people who have used the Cableway over the years.
Talk show host Oprah Winfrey, musician Sting, actor Famke Janssen, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, and singer Kelly Rowland are just some of the famous names who have taken a ride to the top of the mountain.
“One of the lesser-known fun facts about the Cableway is that mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to summit Everest, took a cable car up Table Mountain soon after his historic expedition,” says Hercules. “Hillary is quoted as saying: ‘There is probably no more spectacular place in the world than Cape Town and Table Mountain at the tip of Africa.’”
“A lot has changed since that first trip in 1929, but the Cableway remains one of Cape Town’s biggest tourist attractions, transporting approximately a million visitors annually and counting,” says Hercules.
Good Things Guy has shared many heartwarming stories with the mountain as the backdrop. From David Bester, who lived on top of the mountain with his family when he was a toddler, returning years later to see the magnificent wonder to Tatjana Smith, who got engaged on top of the mountain. It has played host to epic rescues and incredible animal sightings and won countless awards.
Anniversary celebrations
A lot is being planned to commemorate this big milestone in the history of TMACC, she adds.
If it is your birthday this month – whether you turn 95 or not! – then you have a free return cable car ride waiting for you. The free ticket option is available to South Africans in the calendar month in which they celebrate their birthday (SA ID required), and all the information you need is available on the various TMACC social media channels.
“As we celebrate a remarkable 95 years of bringing breathtaking views and unforgettable experiences to local and international visitors, we are excited to announce a special treat. During October, South Africans can buy a 95th Anniversary Special ticket at the special price of R195 (SA ID required). This special is only available online and must be purchased before the visit as you cannot buy a ticket on the day of your visit,” says Hercules.
The TMACC team is also celebrating the milestone by giving back.
“The golf day on 8 November at the Atlantic Beach Golf Estate will raise funds for the Volunteer Wildfire Services and the Wilderness Search and Rescue, two crucial agencies that help to keep the mountain safe,” says Hercules.
Capetonians can also support this golf day by booking a four ball or sponsoring any of the holes on the day or donating towards the event.
“We want to thank everyone who has visited us over these 95 years for being such incredible friends and supporters. We could never have been such a successful tourism operator had it not been for our frontline staff, our support teams, our industry peers and partners, and our fans from near and far.
“Thank you for 95 incredible years. We look forward to many, many more,” says Hercules.
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