Skiing enthusiasts flock to slopes on Lesotho’s Maluti Mountain

July 21, 2026 Village Reporter

Southern Africa is not a part of the world one would automatically associate with skiing, but a resort in Lesotho’s Maluti Mountains offers people in the region the opportunity to enjoy the winter sport.

The country’s high elevation and mountainous terrain combine to make it the coldest country on the continent, with temperatures in the highlands typically plunging to minus 8 degrees Celsius between June and August.

And at 3,200m above sea-level, Afriski’s slopes gives visitors the possibility of skiing, snowboarding, or taking part in other winter activities that they would otherwise have to travel to Europe or elsewhere to do.

“When you think of the African continent, you don’t think about snow, you think about like the sun and…the Sahara,” said Thato Ramaphoko, a first-timer at the resort from Pretoria in South Africa.

“But like you can go to all that and also come here and it snows at the same time. It’s just mind blowing,” he said.

Janco Smits, a student from Cape Town, South Africa, describes Afriski as “an amazing slope to learn on”.

“I’ve been to Europe and I can tell you that it’s totally different. The vibe here is way better and I think it’s honestly, it’s such a privilege having it here because [you can have] a whole ski trip here or you can buy a flight ticket to Europe,” he said.

The entire country is located at over 1,000 meters above sea level and with its mountainous terrain, Lesotho sees a lot of snow. But just in case there is not enough, its artificial snow machines ensure it stays open throughout the winter.

As the only ski resort in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, Afriski serves as a cornerstone of the country’s tourism sector which contributes about 7 per cent to its annual GDP.

The resort’s CEO, Theo Ferreira, says about 70 per cent of visitors come from neighbouring South Africa while the rest are mostly from Lesotho or elsewhere across the region.

It now has 227 full-time and seasonal employees, nearly all Lesotho nationals, with about 30 South Africans, working mainly as skiing instructors, he said.

The busiest day so far this year saw over 1,400 visitors, while in 2025, the record was over 1,600 day visitors and those staying overnight or longer, Ferreira said.