Project 14: Graskop Gorge Lift Company

Sector: Tourism Infrastructure

ZAR101.81 million (USD7.6 million or €6.4 million)

Project Summary

The objective of the project is to develop the Graskop Gorge area into a major tourism node on the Panorama Tourist Route in Mpumalanga through the new Adventure Centre. The proposed development is setup in two major phases with developmental goals in each phase to ensure adequate growth and continued sustainability over time. The main feature of the project is the construction of an outdoor lift system that will be able to ferry people up and down off the cliff face into the forest environment below, where various elevated and ground walkways will allow visitors to explore the unique environment. This experience will be enhanced with various information boards and other value added activities such as guided tours. Supporting this outdoor lift system will be a newly constructed tourism centre that will provide a multitude of tourism products and services including a restaurant, bar, retail outlets, kids play area and centre management offices that will support the entire development. In the medium-term the project will construct a 36-bed hotel in the Gorge that will support Phase I through the provision of additional support infrastructure such as the hotel guest parking, laundry, offices etc.