The construction of tourism facilities at the Vredefort Dome in South Africa’s Free State province – one of the world’s largest meteorite craters and a UNESCO World Heritage Site – is finally set for completion in early 2026 after multiple delays.
Funded under the Department of Tourism’s Working for Tourism programme, the visitor centre at the Vredefort Dome will include geological displays and audiovisual presentations on the impact crater.
Situated approximately 120km south-west of Johannesburg, the crater has a radius of 190km and offers evidence of one of Earth’s most significant meteorite impact events – thought to have occurred more than two billion years ago.
During an oversight visit to various Department of Tourism projects in Gauteng and the Free State, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Tourism found the project to be 96% complete.
Committee Chairperson Ronalda Nalumango confirmed the centre is scheduled to open by February or March next year.
“There were some issues with the previous contractors but those have been resolved with the appointment of a new contractor. The buildings have all been erected and work is being done with Wits University to finalise completion of the visitor facilities,” said Nalumango.
The committee’s oversight visit included other infrastructure development projects at Constitution Hill, the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve and various apartheid-era memorial sites in Johannesburg’s townships.
“We have encouraged the department to accelerate the completion of these projects. The province has much tourism potential that can be better tapped into to further grow the industry,” said Nalumango.
The committee also visited the Maropeng Visitor Centre at the Cradle of Humankind and the Cullinan Diamond Lodge – a beneficiary of the Department of Tourism’s Green Tourism Incentive Programme.
