“They Are All the Same”: Cape Town Gent Shows Houses on Top of Table Mountain

• A Cape Town travel guide discovered abandoned houses on top of Table Mountain, with some buildings missing roofs and windows
• The content creator who runs hiking tours around Cape Town found the mysterious structures and questioned who they belonged to and why they were abandoned
• South Africans flooded the comments with theories about the buildings, with some explaining they were mountain ranger quarters, mountain clubs and SANParks

A Cape Town travel guide has left South Africans scratching their heads after discovering abandoned houses on top of Table Mountain that most people didn't know existed. The video, shared by content creator @mmegentanganedzeni on 25 September 2025, shows the mysterious buildings that have been sitting on the famous mountain, raising questions about their history and purpose.

The young man, who runs a travel guide company taking tourists to different areas of Cape Town, regularly shares videos of his discoveries around Table Mountain. His latest find has sparked major interest, with the video getting over 35,000 views as viewers tried to work out why these houses are there and who built them.

The footage shows buildings in various states, with some completely open to the elements with no roof or windows, while others appear surprisingly intact with walls and windows still in place.

The travel guide explained in his video that he came across these houses during one of his hiking expeditions on Table Mountain. Inside one of the buildings, various items can be seen, including old piping and other materials, but there's no sign of anyone living there or using the structures.

What makes the discovery even more intriguing is that one of the houses appears to be in relatively good condition, with a roof still intact, which suggests it could have been lived in at some point.

Cape Town hikers explain mystery buildings

The comments section was filled with South Africans who either knew about the buildings or were just as surprised by their existence as the content creator:

@Pk joked:

"Hayibo, well, I don't have one, let me start packing my bags. I'm coming."

@Andy suggested:

"Isn't that for lookout posts for people looking out for fires?"

@Nicky shared memories:

"Lovely to see this again. I was last there in the early 90s on a rainy day with my school hiking club; totally soaked, we dried ourselves in front of the coal stove and waited for the rain to stop. Good memories."

@Mandy Mantis revealed:

"That used to be the mountain rangers' living quarters. I grew up there... There is a shooting range a little further up from there."

@DjAmit L asked:

"Which part of Table Mountain?"

@fatsonamountain explained:

"This one is the Cape Province Mountain Club hut... The other one across the way is the Mountain Club of South Africa, Scouts and People Trail Hut, belonging to Sanparks. There's another one in Ash Valley belonging to Western Province Mountain Club."

Table Mountain's hidden history

According to Wikipedia, Table Mountain is home to many historical structures that most tourists never get to see. The mountain has been inhabited and used for different reasons for centuries, with the original Khoe-speaking peoples calling it Huriǂ'oaxa, meaning "ocean-emerging mountain".

Content creator @mmegentanganedzeni showed how these abandoned buildings are part of Table Mountain's forgotten history. Between 1896 and 1907, when five dams were built on the Back Table to supply Cape Town's water, a ropeway was used to ferry materials and workers up the mountain. Some of the structures discovered could be linked to this time, or to the mountain ranger stations and hiking club huts that were established over the years to support climbers and conservation efforts.

View the TikTok clip below:

Other amazing Table Mountain stories

• Briefly News recently reported on a Cape Town content creator who captured the entire blood moon eclipse from Table Mountain, but the 82-minute footage showed something that left people who missed it feeling regretful.
• A Limpopo hiker revealed the hidden Woodhead Dam on top of Table Mountain, but the strange colour of the water had people asking questions that sparked unexpected educational discussions.
• A Cape Town traveller discovered underground bunkers on Table Mountain with steep steps and long tunnels, but what he found behind the gated areas had people comparing it to something out of a horror movie.

Source: Briefly News