Joburg visitors Bafana Sibanyoni 29, and his girlfriend, Mbani Ntazani, 26, have been announced the 25-millionth person to visit Cape Town’s natural wonder of the world – Table Mountain – with the latest million achieved in just one year and two weeks.
Bafana Sibanyoni thought a first-ever trip up Table Mountain would be the ideal way to celebrate his partner Mbali Ntanzi’s 26th birthday, but the couple had no idea that their Cableway experience was about to reach entirely new commemorative heights.
The shocked couple, were greeted by claps, cameras and balloons at the entrance of the cableway. They were delighted to learn that they had won a luxury weekend in the Mother City, announced by the Cableway staff in proudly South African fashion.
For being the 25-millionth and 25-millionth + 1 visitors the two were rewarded with a weekend stay at the Taj Cape Town hotel, two more complimenatry Cableway tickets (if they preferred a more private experience), a Cableway hamper including Shop at the Top merchandise and a Table Mountain Cafe voucher, as well as vouchers for experiences at the Cableway’s fellow Cape Town Big 7 partners: V&A Waterfront, Kirstenbosch National Botantical Garden, Groot Constantia and Cape Point. The amazing grand prize was rounded off with a one-day City Sightseeing South Africa ticket for two.
Sibanyoni said he was speechless but completely overjoyed at their luck.He said they didn’t plan to do a trip up the mountain and even got lost on their way there.“It’s as if everything happened for a reason. Because it’s my girlfriend’s birthday, she is really the lucky one. We are staying until Friday and I can’t wait to see the rest of this city,” said Sibanyoni.
They had arrived in Cape Town on Monday, 1 February, and the Cableway was their first activity in the city. Apart from the activity-vouchers they received in the hamper, they will also be visiting the Cape’s beaches and Ratanga Junction.
“We’ve seen Table Mountain on TV, and since we are from South Africa, we wanted to be a part of it as well,” said Bafana. Mbali said she was afraid of heights, but was looking forward to her first time up the mountain nonetheless.The growth of the Cableway has been exponential since the introduction of the new revolving cabins – doubling its 1997 numbers to reach 22-million visitors in November 2012.
Table Mountain Aerial Cableway had a record December with 28% more visitors than in December 2014, reportedly because the weather was extremely favourable and they were open every single day in December.From among a league of extraordinary attractions, Table Mountain was named a New7Wonder of Nature in 2012, adding to record growth in tourism numbers as the “wonder effect” took hold and visitors flocked to the mountain.
