Afriski Mountain Resort, nestled in the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a rare winter treat that attracts visitors from the continent and beyond. It is one of only two ski resorts in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Afriski Mountain Resort in Lesotho. Image from Wikipedia
The kingdom of Lesotho is a tiny, beautiful, mountainous nation at the bottom of Africa, entirely surrounded by South Africa. One of only three independent states in the world which is completely surrounded by the territory of another country (San Marino and Vatican City being the other two), the Kingdom of Lesotho resides within the borders of the country of South Africa.
Lesotho’s first inhabitants, who occupied what is now Botswana and South Africa, were a nomadic peoples called the San and are widely acknowledged as one of the oldest cultures on Earth. Like the skiers of Southern Africa today, the San moved according to the seasons and in harmony with the availability of resources which fluctuated with great frequency in the warm and sometimes desert climates through which their lives revolved. Early San peoples frequently traversed the Maluti range whose highest point reaches 3,482 meters (11,424 feet), the tallest peak in Africa south of the world renowned Mount Kilimanjaro.
High in the Maluti range snowfall often begins sporadically in April and delivers a proper season of winter from June through August much in the manner that one might expect in South America or in Australia or New Zealand during the same period.
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The altitude in Lesotho is extreme, as it is the only country in the world that lies entirely over 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level. In fact, the lowest point in Lesotho is much higher than that, at 4,600 feet, while its highest point is Mount Ntlenyana, reaching 11,424 feet. Lesotho has two mountain ranges: the Drakensberg Mountains along its southern and eastern borders and the Maluti Mountains to the north.
While one of Southern Africa’s only two ski resorts lies just south of Lesotho’s national border in the Drakensberg, the other one lies in the Maluti Mountains in the country’s northern reaches.
History of Afriski
The history of the resort dates back to the 1960s, when the Maluti Ski Club was founded in the area and operated ski lodges in the winter season.
The Resort Today
Afriski’s three slopes set set amid Lesotho’s Maluti mountains. At 3,000 metres (10,000ft) high up in the Maluti mountains, the resort has weathered a series of challenges since it opened 22 years ago. The resort can accommodate about 320 people and offers a 1 km ski slope, beginners slope and operates during the winter months (June-August).
Afriski is a rare winter treat that attracts visitors from the continent and beyond, and returns this season after power cuts and other issues kept it closed in 2023. Surrounded by the remote brown mountains of a country in drought, the three small slopes of Afriski mountain resort in Lesotho are this year layered in artificial snow created with water pumped from eight surrounding dams.
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Afriski Mountain Resort kicks of the 2025 winter season this Sunday, June 1. Afriski Mountain Resort, Lesotho, one of only two ski resorts in Southern Africa, will open its 2025 winter season on Sunday, June 1, welcoming skiers and snowboarders back to the high-altitude slopes of the Drakensberg-Maluti Mountains. Perched at over 10,571 feet (3,222 meters), Afriski is located in the Kingdom of Lesotho and relies on a powerful snowmaking system to support its short but reliable ski season, which typically runs from early June through the end of August.
While it only snows about 3-4 days per season, artifical snowmaking and below freezing temperatures enable Afriski to open consistently each year from June to August and some years even into September. Afriski remains the only active ski resort in Southern Africa this season.
While Afriski is modest in size, it holds outsize significance in Africa’s winter tourism scene. It attracts a steady stream of visitors from neighboring South Africa and beyond, offering a rare opportunity to ski or snowboard on the continent. Johannesburg, South Africa, is located about 4.5 hours south of Afriski.
Skiing Experience
If you’re used to spending your winters in the Alps or the Rockies, then Afriski may be a little underwhelming: if there hasn’t been much snow, the resort’s machines generate a bright white ribbon that suggests a large truck has overturned, and spilt a cargo of vanilla ice cream down the brown scrub of the Maluti mountains. 60 years later or thereabouts, it’s still a modest affair: the lone run isn’t much more than a kilometre of fairly gentle descent, so the accomplished skier will be down in a flash.
But Afriski isn’t targeting a pre-season Eileen Gu, and hosting the Winter Olympics is pretty unlikely. In a part of the world more commonly associated with safari vacations under the African sun, few people have first-hand experience of snow sports, and thus even a relatively short and straightforward run makes for a unique holiday destination.
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Which is not to discount a pilgrimage to Afriski for visitors from further afield. Yes, it may lack the sprawl of Powder Mountain or Porte du Soleil, but the local hospitality is terrific (the Basotho people are famously warm and friendly), there’s well-stocked ski store on site, and the accommodation is comfortable and well-priced, from backpacker simplicity to serviced apartments.
This is not the Alps. Although you do get the occasional white-out or gorgeous snowy day, the snow doesn’t coat the mountains all winter long like it does in traditional ski resorts and so is helped along with snow machines much of the winter season, which stretches from the beginning of June to the end of August. On offer for skiers and snowboards are just a handful of slopes catering mainly towards beginners.
If you’re visiting as a complete newbie to the world of skiing, you won’t be alone. Almost everyone hitting the slopes with you totters and teeters just as much with the newfound feeling of having skis or a board strapped to their feet. Falling is the name of the game, and there is no shame. You also don’t have to stress about holding up the button lift, or palma lift, as everyone is simply relieved to see someone having just as much difficulty as they did. However, we found the level of instruction we could get in the mountains of Lesotho to be excellent.
Afriski is also a great place for families to introduce the little ones to the snow, with a kiddies ski school and dedicated area, a fun bumboarding alley, and even a zig-zagged tubing lane. For those who have already mastered some skills, the resort’s very own Kapoko Snow Park has some rails and jumps and boxes.
Forecasts from OpenSnow indicate favorable conditions for snowmaking in the week ahead. Nighttime lows are expected to remain below freezing, and approximately 1 inch of natural snow is projected-enough to support Afriski’s early-season operations and get its main slope up and running.
Getting There
The resort is a 4.5-hour drive from Johannesburg or Pretoria via the steep tarred Moteng pass and the Mahlasela pass; it sits along Highway A1.
The mountains of Lesotho are dotted with traditional homesteads, and a good tar road runs from north to south through the country, so access is relatively painless. The road to the resort itself climbs higher and higher through mountainside villages dotted with traditional stone huts and crumbling cattle kraals. Sheep, donkeys, and goats cause the occasional roadblock, herded by the blanket-wearing Basotho people, and children play along the roadside, stopping to wave as you pass. Be careful when driving these roads as the cold weather and altitude can cause snowbanks to build up, and ice is also a common occurrence.
If you’re driving from Johannesburg it will take you about five hours to reach Lesotho. From the coastal city of Durban, it takes about four hours to get to the Afriski resort by car. However, you should budget for longer if you plan to do the Sani Pass route, an epic 4×4 trail that is a must-do for any motoring enthusiast, with 139 switchbacks up the side of the Drakensberg range - topping out at an elevation of 10,643 feet - on its way into Lesotho.
Either way, the mighty Drakensberg, or Dragon Mountains in Afrikaans, are a sight in their own right. The Zulu word for this escarpment is uKhahlamba, or “barrier of spears,” as the Drakensberg ridges look like a line of pointed weapons. In Sotho, the language of most of Lesotho’s Basotho residents - beyond its Zulu and other minorities - both the Drakensberg and Maluti ranges, which are connected, are called the Maluti.
Beyond Skiing: Other Activities in Lesotho
When snow blankets the mountains, you may find diehard snowboarders walking up the mountainside for some off-piste excitement. But if that is not really your thing, or if you can’t time your visit for winter, Lesotho is still teeming with rugged beauty and outdoor adventures. A 4×4 vehicle is essential for exploring the country as it will take you to its wildest corners.
One such stop is at the majestic Maletsunyane Falls, a 630-foot waterfall that is one of the highest single falls in Africa. You can take up to 40 minutes to abseil down alongside the falls, heart in your mouth and the falls’ mist in your hair. Whatever you think of huge dams, Katse Dam is one of Africa’s largest, and the view of it is quite dramatic.
Afriski itself also offers a whole host of activities to keep visitors entertained in the summer months, including mountain biking and trail running. The resort plays host to a number of epic events throughout the year, and in the warmer months the Kapoko Snow Park noted earlier is reimagined as a bike park.
The owners of this property offer pony treks into the mountains of Lesotho. (The local Basuto pony breed is actually a small horse, so you’ll find they call them both ponies and horses.) You can choose from shorter outrides or one-day adventures to full-on multi-day trails in the mountains, overnighting in traditional shepherd huts. There are no bells and whistles here, just a downright relaxed and authentic Lesotho experience. Plodding along on our hardened Lesotho steeds through fields, we were able to drink in the absolute beauty of this country.
Although easily reachable from Johannesburg and Durban, time in Lesotho is a seemingly meaningless thing. The mountains, barren in the winter but beautiful, stretched to the horizon, no high rises or modern structures blocking the view. There was not even any cell-phone signal to speak of, just endless, crisp, and inviting silence - save for the farmers calling out to their flock and the high-pitched laughter of some children as they played in the village stream down below.
Following our guide, our horses carefully made their way down the mountain and into the village, which would be our home for the night. Mothers tended to their washing in the river while the boys rounded up the sheep and cows before darkness set in. We dodged chickens and the odd soccer ball as the pink hue of twilight swept over Lesotho.
Returning to our room at Polihali we sat out on the stoop, like an old couple in the days of yesteryear, and watched as the evening soccer match drew everyone out of the village for some friendly rivalry on the pitch. The smells of cooking wafted in from the kitchen, and a hearty meal of spicy chicken, pap (maize porridge), and veggies provided the perfect end to our time in Lesotho.
It was with a sense of sadness as we packed up our trusty Land Rover the next day to make the journey out of the mountain kingdom. And as our passports were stamped as we crossed back into South Africa, we had to take a moment to stop and look back over those undulating hills. For here, nestled within our very own homeland, was a totally different world and a tiny gem of a country waiting with open arms for anyone who hopes to explore it.
Afriski Details
Here is a table summarizing key information about Afriski Mountain Resort:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Maluti Mountains, Lesotho |
| Altitude | Over 3,000 meters (10,000 ft) |
| Slopes | 3 (including 1 km slope and beginners slope) |
| Accommodation Capacity | About 320 people |
| Operating Months | June to August |
| Other Activities | Mountain biking, trail running, pony trekking |
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Afriski Mountain Resort. Image from TripAdvisor
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