Makapan's Caves in Mogalakwena Platteland, Limpopo

The Makapan’s Caves are situated in Mokopane in Limpopo Province, South Africa.

The Caves can be found in the Mokopan Valley, the only cultural heritage site of its kind. The Caves were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their paleontological significance. The famous 3.3 million year old Taung skull was found here. It is believed to belong to a humanoid known as Australopithicus africanus.

The Cave of Hearths is one of only two Stone Age sites in the world that contains a continuous sequence of artifacts from the Early Stone Age to the later Stone Age.

The Gwasa Cave is a historic site, were you learn of the tragic outcome of hostilities between the Voortrekkers and the Ndebele tribe.

Today, vervet monkeys, baboons and bush babies live in the treetops, searching for fruits as early man did. Caving is an interesting adventure and although dark and damp, it is an experience not to be missed.

Things to do and see

• Guided Tour
• The Cave of Hearths
• The Cave of Gwasa
• The Hyena Cave

Admission

Open Monday to Sunday 08h00 to 16h30

Tours must be pre-booked. Please contact to confirm pricing.

Climate

Makopane experiences rainfall mainly in the summer months with the highest occurring in December and January.

Summer months, November to March will have average temperatures of between 16˚C and 86˚C.

Winter months, May to August will have average temperatures of between 3˚C and 21˚C.

Transport

Driving to Makopane from Johannesburg will take approximately 3 hours along the N1.

There are daily flights into Polokwane International Airport from O R Tambo Airport in Johannesburg and Mokapane is approximately 59 km from Polokwane. Car rental facilities are available.