South Africa: Table Mountain Hits 1 Million Visitors in 2025 - South African News Briefs - December 17, 2025

Cable car on Table Mountain.
17 December 2025

 

Table Mountain Welcomes One Million Visitors in 2025

Table Mountain has welcomed one million visitors this year, reports EWN. The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company celebrated its 33rd millionth visitor since operations began, a domestic tourist from Limpopo. This milestone follows the celebration of the 32nd million visitor in January. The company's Colette van Aswegen said early indicators of increased tourism were seen as far back as September. This was driven by more arrivals through airports, an increase in direct flights to Cape Town, the start of the cruise season, and Cape Town's growing appeal as a top travel destination.

Smuggling Disrupted at Beitbridge During Festive Season

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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has reported significant disruption of smuggling activities at the Beitbridge Port of Entry during festive season operations, reports SABC  News.  Since the start of the 2025/26 festive season, illicit goods worth more than R900,000 have been seized, including non-perishable food items, 210 car batteries, and a Hyundai H100 truck. BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato said the successes reflect the effectiveness of intelligence-led and technology-driven enforcement, supported by partnerships with defence companies to enhance surveillance, mobility, and command-and-control systems. He said that specialised patrol vehicles have helped intercept illicit alcohol, counterfeit goods, and illegal immigrants, while festive season operations continue to support lawful travel and trade and clamp down on organised crime.

Court Clears Continued Publication of Matric Results

AfriForum has welcomed a North Gauteng High Court ruling that allows the continued publication of matric results using examination numbers instead of candidates' names, reports EWN. They said that it strikes a balance between learner privacy and public access to information. The ruling followed a legal challenge by the Information Regulator, which argued that publishing results contravened the POPI Act.  However, the court dismissed the bid, allowing the traditional publication process to proceed with the added privacy safeguard of using ID-linked exam numbers. AfriForum's Head of Cultural Affairs, Alana Bailey, said that the decision sets an important legal precedent. The ruling ensures that the long-standing tradition of publishing results in national newspapers and digital platforms can continue, provided that personal identifiers remain protected.

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