Ninety-five years after the first visitors ascended Table Mountain in a wooden cable car, the iconic Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) continues to thrive, providing unforgettable experiences for guests from around the globe, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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‘We are excited to celebrate our 95th anniversary on Friday, 4 October 2024, and we can’t wait to share this milestone with everyone who has supported us over the years,’ said Selma Hercules, Executive Director of TMACC.
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Since its opening on 4 October 1929, the Cableway has seen three major upgrades and regular maintenance, becoming a defining feature of Cape Town’s famous flat-topped mountain.
Few know the story behind its inception, which dates back to the 1870s when plans for a railway along the mountain’s slopes were first proposed to help the public reach the summit. Although the original plan for a funicular railway was delayed by World War I, interest reignited in 1926 when Norwegian engineer Trygve Stromsoe proposed the idea of a cableway, laying the groundwork for what we now know as the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway.
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Over the years, countless icons, celebrities, and royals have enjoyed the Cableway, including talk show host Oprah Winfrey, musician Sting, actors Famke Janssen and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, and singer Kelly Rowland.
‘An interesting titbit is that mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to summit Everest, rode the cable car up Table Mountain shortly after his historic climb,’ noted Hercules.
Hillary remarked, ‘There is probably no more spectacular place in the world than Cape Town and Table Mountain at the tip of Africa.’
While much has changed since that inaugural ride in 1929, the Cableway remains one of Cape Town’s top tourist attractions, transporting approximately one million visitors each year. TMACC has exciting plans to commemorate this significant anniversary.
Throughout October, South Africans celebrating their birthday can enjoy a free return cable car ride, available to those with a valid South African ID. Additionally, the company is offering a 95th Anniversary Special ticket for R195 (ID required), which must be purchased online prior to the visit.
To give back to the community, TMACC will host a golf day on 8 November at Atlantic Beach Golf Estate to raise funds for the Volunteer Wildfire Services and Wilderness Search and Rescue, essential organisations that help ensure the safety of the mountain. Capetonians are encouraged to support the event by booking a four-ball, sponsoring holes, or making donations.
‘We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has visited us over these 95 years. Our success as a tourism operator is due to our dedicated frontline staff, support teams, industry partners, and loyal fans,’ said Hercules.
‘Thank you for 95 incredible years. Here’s to many more!,’ Hercules concluded.
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Picture: Tim Bieber / Gallo Images
