Makapan’s Valley to be upgraded

MAKAPAN’s Valley, located just south of Limpopo’s capital city Polokwane, is set for a multi-million rand upgrade following the receipt of R16.6m from the National Lotto. This upgrade aims to improve infrastructure and make the area a more attractive and accessible tourism site for the province. The valley is considered to be of significant archaeological, scientific and historical value and is home to Makapan’s Caves, the site where important archaeological finds were discovered. The money will go towards upgrading existing infrastructure around the caves by improving roads to and in the area as well as creating more parking and building shops to service visitors. Research facilities and an interpretive centre are also on the cards. According to Mr Ron Viney, manager of the South African Heritage Resources Agency’s Limpopo office, the local community of Mokopane will directly benefit from the project in the short-term as they will facilitate the upgrade. The improvement project will be enhanced with a long-term sustainability programme that will simultaneously promote tourism while ensuring the protection and conservation of the site. “There are also intangible benefits that cannot be calculated. The developments will act as a catalyst for adjacent landowners and the town of Mokopane itself to provide accommodation to tourists,” said Viney. The developments will begin once the necessary impact assessments are completed and the regulatory requirements adhered to. (Darren Sandras)