AFTER nearly three years of closure due to flooding, South Africa’s renowned Sterkfontein Caves have officially reopened, offering a new and more immersive experience for visitors. Nestled within the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, just 50 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg, the caves have long been a cornerstone for palaeontological research.
The site gained global fame for producing key hominid fossils, including the remarkably complete Australopithecus skeleton known as ‘Little Foot’. Now, the return of public tours includes the rare chance to observe live scientific excavations, connecting visitors directly with the search for our ancient origins.
As reported by AFP, tourists can now watch researchers such as Itumeleng Molefe carefully brushing through layers of ancient soil in real time. Molefe, who has worked at the site since 2013, shared that his most significant discovery to date is a prehistoric hand bone. His connection to the caves is personal — his father helped excavate the famed ‘Little Foot’.
‘My aim is to find important bones here,’ said Molefe, seated amidst sandbags in the knee-deep excavation trenches carved into the limestone floor.
A living laboratory of human history
Managed by the University of the Witwatersrand, the caves are part of a complex that also includes a museum. Nithaya Chetty, Dean of the university’s Faculty of Science, described the reopening as a leap forward in public science engagement.
‘This reopening represents a significant evolution in how we share the story of human origins,’ said Chetty. ‘Visitors now have unique opportunities to engage with active live science and research, all happening in real time.’
Before the pandemic, the Sterkfontein Caves attracted up to 100,000 visitors annually. The extended closure, according to archaeology professor Dominic Stratford, left a sense of emptiness in the local tourism and academic communities.
‘Everyone felt like we were missing something,’ Stratford told AFP, reflecting on the buses of schoolchildren and curious tourists that once filled the site.
Fossils, light shows and underground lakes
As part of the revamped experience, tourists don helmets and descend into 2.5 kilometres of dimly lit caves, guided by professionals like Trevor Butelezi, a tourism graduate who brings the site’s past to life.
Pausing near a passageway that leads to a mysterious underground lake, Butelezi shared a powerful quote inspired by famed South African palaeontologist Phillip Tobias: ‘Africa gave rise to humanity, and it’s not a small thing.’
Visitors can also view a temporary exhibition at the museum showcasing critical finds, including ‘Mrs Ples’, the most complete Australopithecus africanus skull discovered in 1947. However, those hoping to catch a glimpse of ‘Little Foot’ in person will have to wait until South Africa’s heritage month in September, when the skeleton is scheduled to go on public display.
With the new format combining education, science and tourism, Sterkfontein Caves are once again a powerful reminder of Africa’s pivotal role in the story of human evolution — and a place where ancient history continues to be written, one brushstroke at a time.
