For many skiing enthusiasts, Lesotho, the only country in Africa with snow cover in winter, has become a favorite destination in recent years.
According to AP, Lesotho's high altitude and rugged mountainous terrain make it the coldest country in Africa, with temperatures in the highlands often dropping to minus 8 degrees Celsius between June and August each year. Lesotho has a lot of snow, and therefore, what was once a sport primarily associated with North America and the Alps has become a snowy landscape. In Europe, skiing is becoming increasingly popular.
Located at an altitude of approximately 3,200 meters above sea level, nestled in the Maluti Mountains, Afriski Mountain Resort is the only operating ski resort in Lesotho and in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. Opened 25 years ago, the resort spans an area equivalent to about 24 standard football fields, and boasts a magnificent, snow-covered landscape ideal for skiing.
Theo Ferreira, CEO of Afriski Mountain Resort, said that nearly 70% The majority of visitors to this ski resort are South Africans, with the remainder coming primarily from Lesotho or other Southern African countries. The resort currently employs 227 full-time and seasonal staff, mostly from Lesotho, along with approximately 30 South Africans, primarily as ski instructors.
Last year, tourism contributed about 7% to Lesotho's gross domestic product (GDP), reaching approximately $2.6 billion. The Afriski Mountain Resort alone provided the country, ranked by the World Bank as one of the world's poorest, with much-needed cash flow.
Unpredictable weather can make natural snow scarce, so at times the resort has to rely on artificial snowmaking systems to serve ski enthusiasts throughout the winter.
“When you think of Africa, you don’t think of snow. You think of… the sun and the Sahara desert. But when you can actually go to all those places and see snow, it’s amazing, so I had to come and see it for myself,” shared Thato Ramaphoko, a South African tourist visiting the Afriski Mountain Resort for the first time.