33 million reasons to visit: Table Mountain Aerial Cableway's festive achievement

The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway has reached a major milestone during the festive season, welcoming its 33 millionth visitor, highlighting the enduring appeal of one of Cape Town’s most iconic tourism attractions.

The milestone was marked on Sunday, 15 December, when Ofentse Huma and Thabiso Letsoalo were welcomed at the Lower Cable Station and surprised with a special gift hamper. Since opening in 1929, millions of visitors have used the cable car to reach the summit of Table Mountain, one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

The achievement comes as Cape Town continues to receive renewed international recognition as a global travel destination. Earlier this week, Travel and Leisure Asia named Cape Town Editor’s Choice Best City in the International Category at its India’s Best Awards 2025, while U.S. News & World Report ranked the city fifth among the Best Places to Visit in Africa, awarding it a Gold Award Badge of Excellence.

City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, James Vos, said Table Mountain was central to the city’s tourism offering.

“Table Mountain is far more than an iconic backdrop. As one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, it is central to Cape Town’s destination value proposition and a major contributor to our tourism economy,” Vos said.

He said the mountain remained a key reason why travellers chose Cape Town.

“It is consistently one of the top reasons travellers choose Cape Town, and a powerful driver of visitor spend that supports jobs across hospitality, transport, guiding services, and small businesses throughout the city,” Vos said.

Vos said reaching the milestone during the festive season reflected broader confidence in Cape Town as a destination.

“Reaching this milestone during a strong festive season reflects growing confidence in Cape Town as a destination and the effectiveness of our collective efforts to promote the city globally while ensuring visitors enjoy safe, high-quality experiences,” he said.

The global accolades, he added, demonstrated that Cape Town’s international marketing campaigns were resonating with travellers.

“We are honoured that these awards have recognised Cape Town, which underscores our commitment to creating a world-class city. It also shows that the messages encompassed in the City of Cape Town’s international marketing campaigns are communicating with travellers across the world, who then visit the City, creating jobs in tourism and stimulating the local economy,” Vos said.

The milestone at the cableway, alongside the international rankings, underlines the role of flagship attractions such as Table Mountain in sustaining Cape Town’s tourism economy during the peak festive period.

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Cape Argus