Property

Surreal scenes at an abandoned South African resort deep in the Drakensberg mountains

Daily Investor • 31 July 2026

Ron Mackenzie from The Safari Guys described the abandoned Tiffindell Ski Resort as surreal and eerie, with footprints in the snow but no one to talk to.

Mackenzie shared his experience and photos on his Facebook page, where he shares information about unique places he visits.

He recently travelled on the Carlislehoekspruit Pass, a mountain pass in the Eastern Cape on the road between Rhodes and the Tiffindell Ski Resort.

Near the summit lies Tiffindell Ski Resort, South Africa’s only ski and snowboarding resort and once-thriving winter destination.

Tiffindell was established in 1993 in the Southern Drakensberg and was rated number 19 on CNN’s ‘Top 100 Ski Runs of the World’.

Tiffindell is located at 2,720 meters on the south-facing slope of Ben Macdhui, the highest mountain in the Eastern Cape.

It is situated 24 kilometres above the hamlet of Rhodes and about 212 kilometres east of Aliwal North.

Tiffindell has hosted the South African National FIS Championships annually and has hosted International FIS Ski Races since 2014.

The resort used snowmaking and grooming machines to maintain the ski areas. “This equipment allows us to make snow throughout the season,” it said.

This means that when there is no natural snow on the mountains during the June, July, and August ski season, it could still offer skiing to visitors.

However, the resort was forced to close during the 2020 and 2021 COVID-19 lockdowns, which also hindered preparations for the 2022 season.

The resort subsequently closed permanently, and the property was listed for sale through Chris Stevens Real Estate.

Stevens explained that losing three years of revenue was too much for the resort to absorb, especially since the ski season lasts only three months a year.

The surreal scenes at the Tiffindell Ski Resort

Ron Mackenzie, who recently travelled to the Tiffindell Ski Resort, described the situation as surreal.

Mackenzie visited the resort after it had closed in 2021 and couldn’t find anyone to speak to then. The same happened on his recent visit.

“We kept expecting to see a closed sign or gate somewhere as we travelled towards Tiffindell. It is really far to get to, so perhaps it is not needed,” he said.

When they arrived, the resort was deserted. “There were footprints, but we couldn’t find anyone to chat to,” he said.

Apparently, there was security at the Tiffindell Ski Resort. However, he could not find them despite seeing the footprints in the snow.

“The stillness was eerie, and apart from weathered timber railings, it looked as though the last guests had departed only days earlier.”

He also visited the Ben MacDhui Pass, which is reportedly the highest in the country, at over 3000 meters.

“However, it’s not really fair to compare to the Sani Pass, especially with the resort being closed. If I’m not mistaken, it was built specifically for the resort.”

He said it would be great if the Tiffindell Ski Resort could reopen year-round, as it offered many possibilities beyond traditional tourism.