Tourist Office

Tiffindell Farm
PO Box 170

Barkly East
North Eastern Cape
South Africa
2068

Telephone: (11) 9749004
Email: resort@skisouthafrica.co.za
Website: www.skisouthafrica.co.za

Description

South Africa’s first truly commercial ski centre opened in 1993 and had gone from strength to strength, thanks largely to snow-making technology and a determined and innovative management team. Natural snowfall of up to a metre in 36 hours has been recorded in recent years but the stretching of the season from mid-May (One of the earliest to open in the southern hemisphere), through to mid-September has been largely thanks to ever improving snowmaking techniques.

Review

Africa’s only Southern Hemisphere ski resort, Tiffindell in the Ben Mac Ski area, was established in 1993 to give South Africans the opportunity to ski in their own country. As the only ski resort, south of Morocco, Tiffindell offers the unique facility of an alpine resort, with an international flavour, in sunny South Africa. Starting from a ski run of 100m and 20 beds, the resort has now been developed to sleep 132 people with a ski run of about 500m. Facilities are continually improved to cater for the 60% annual increase in visitors.

Although the skiing is not comparable to that of the larger European or North American resorts, the atmosphere is. Tiffindell is best enjoyed in a group, so bring your friends, family, children or work colleagues. Come along with an open mind, and you will enjoy an unforgettable experience. Tiffindell has developed its ski slopes on a south facing slope on the highest mountain in the Cape’s Southern Drakensberg (equates to a North Facing slope in the Northern Hemisphere!). Here the snow lasts longest and stays skiable longer than anywhere in South Africa. However, in a climate where there isn’t enough winter precipitation this is not enough to ensure skiing. Therefore, like many resorts around the world Tiffindell relys on engineered snowmaking systems to make their snow, and enable skiing during Tiffindell’s season from 25 May – 31 August

keywords

Barkly East, Rhodes, Tiffindell, Ben Mcohui, Barkly East, Drakensberg, Cape

Big snow at Treble Cone in New Zealand as resort officially kicks off 2010 season

With good snowfall conditions in most of the southern hemisphere, the 2010 ski season officially kicked off last weekend with Coronet Peak New Zealand reporting a 50cm (20 inch) base including 15cm (six inches) of new snow.  Thousands of Queenslanders hit the piste to celebrate.

Continue reading ‘And they’rrreee off: Southern Hemisphere’s 2010 ski season underway’

Afri-Ski is trying to lure football fans to head off skiing during the World Cup

With soccer fans gearing up for next month’s World Cup in South Africa, two ski areas are hoping to ride the promotional wave by promoting skiing and attracting a few extra tourists.

Afriski and Tiffindell ski resorts are making a big promotional push to football fans by enticing them to combine their journey with a ski vacations.

Southern Africa’s two ski areas are due to open a few days before the World Cup finals kick off in South Africa. The ski slopes are some hours from the football grounds, but a snow and football holiday is a realistic possibility.

Continue reading ‘South Africa puts the push on skiing during World Cup’