The Hartbeespoort Aerial Cableway (or Harties Cableway), originally constructed in 1973, is a 1.2 km long cableway that extends to the top of the
Magaliesberg
The Magaliesberg (historically also known as ''Macalisberg'' or ''Cashan Mountains'') of northern South Africa, is a modest but well-defined mountain range composed mainly of quartzites. It rises at a point south of the Pilanesberg (and the Pi ...
and offers panoramic views of the Magaliesberg,
Hartbeespoort Dam
Hartbeespoort Dam (also known as ''Harties'') is an arch type dam situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It lies in a valley to the south of the Magaliesberg mountain range and north of the Witwatersberg mountain range, about 35 kil ...
and the surrounding area. It is situated 1 km to the north of the town of
Hartbeespoort
Hartbeespoort, informally also known as "Harties", is a small resort town in the North West Province of South Africa, situated on slopes of the Magaliesberg mountain and the banks of the Hartbeespoort Dam. The name of the town means "gateway of t ...
in the
North West Province
North West is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Mahikeng. The province is located to the west of the major population centre of Gauteng and south of Botswana.
History
North West was incorporated after the end of Apartheid in 1994, an ...
, and is the longest mono-cableway in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
. In 2010 the cableway was completely revamped and modernised by Zargodox (Pty) Ltd, and officially reopened on 14 August 2010 by the then Minister of Tourism
Marthinus van Schalkwyk. The aerial cableway is open seven days a week.
History
1973–2005
The first Harties Aerial Cableway was constructed in 1973. The aerial cableway was a top visitor attraction for overseas travellers and local residents, and became a popular paragliding and hang gliding destination. By 2005 the cableway had fallen into a state of disrepair, and was closed.
2010
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 cableway and bringing the area back to life. 14 six-seater hi-tech cable cars, new galvanised cabling, touch-screen technology, and auto cabin spacing and conveyor programming technology was installed. The cableway underwent 500 hours of testing, complying with the Canadian Standards Association specifications.
2012
The Harties Aerial Cableway was named 'Best Conference Venue' at the North West Provincial Tourism Awards.
Government recognition
In his address at the official launch of the Harties Aerial Cableway on 14 August, Minister of Tourism
Marthinus van Schalkwyk congratulated the team behind the rejuvenation of the cableway, and stated "Anyone who has been to Switzerland will tell you that the Harties Cableway is up there with the best. "This is a world-class facility and we need many more products like this."
[http://www.iol.co.za/travel/south-africa/north-west/hartbeespoort-cableway-gets-you-high-1.1366671 Marthinus van Schalkwyk Opening Address]
References
External links
Harties Cableway Official Website
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Aerial tramways in South Africa
Tourist attractions in North West (South African province)
1973 establishments in South Africa