“Cape Town Wind Doesn’t Play”: Hikers Challenged by Mother City Winds, SA Reacts

• A dramatic video captured seven hikers struggling against extreme wind on a Cape Town mountain path, with some resorting to sitting down to avoid being blown towards the sea
• The alarming clip was shared on TikTok and gained massive views, sparking serious concerns about the hikers’ safety
• Social media users were shocked by their decision to hike in such conditions, questioning their safety and asking if everyone made it off the mountain unharmed

A disturbing video of hikers battling strong winds on a Cape Town mountain sent shockwaves across social media, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the Mother City’s weather.

The clip, shared on TikTok by @hictt, garnered massive attention from viewers who were disappointed by the hikers' decision and also wished to know if they made it out safely.

The video shows a group of seven hikers struggling to maintain their footing against powerful gusts that made walking nearly impossible. A few women in the group decided to sit down on the rocks, clearly worried about losing their balance and being pushed towards the close sea below.

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Cape Town's strong winds put hikers on a standstill

The TikTok user @hictt captioned the post, emphasising that the Mother City's weather is notoriously unpredictable and noted that the Cape Town Marathon had to be postponed on the same day due to the adverse wind conditions. This context amplified the danger faced by the hikers.

Strong winds lead to Cape Town Marathon cancellation

The 2025 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon was cancelled at 4:45 AM, just hours before the 6:15 AM start time, due to severe overnight winds. A statement released by the Cape Town Marathon organisers explained that the winds wreaked havoc on the race venue in Green Point, damaging essential infrastructure, including marquee tents and branding, which compromised the safety of the area.

Many of the 24,000 runners were at the venue, and others were on their way into the city when the announcement was communicated. The collective decision to cancel was made by the Joint Operations Committee (JOC), which included the City’s Disaster Risk Management and the SAPS. Colonel Christo Engelbrecht confirmed the route was unsafe due to constant wind gusts, and the CEO of the marathon stated they were devastated but affirmed that runners’ safety was the ultimate priority.

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SA debates the Cape Town strong winds

Social media users flooded the comments section expressing their shock at seeing people attempting to hike in such heavy winds. Many viewers warned that the hikers were putting their lives at serious risk, with some pointing out that October is typically a windy month in the Mother City, questioning why they chose to hike in such conditions. Some asked if everyone in the group managed to get off the mountain safely. Others explained that the top part of the mountain gets windy, and that it might not be as lower down.

User @Ke_B⭕️sëke🇧🇼 said:

"Cape Town wind doesn’t play, people are out here complaining about being saved from dangerous weather."

User @zuke053 asked:

"Are there no caves on table mountain?"

User @gma_mackie commented:

"That is so dangerous. Why are they even climb? This time of the year it is very windy. They had to put a sign on there."

User @simthembilemaboya shared:

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"That's too risky."

User @Vatsoe Lanksoe added:

"That's very dangerous. Windy conditions like this you don't go and hike on Table Mountain 🙈. We were taught this in scouts many years ago."

User @Rose said:

"You must not be aware of people who ran and finished the distance with no wind impact. Also flights ran on schedule. The cable car ran normally. These crazy winds did not exist at the time the race was scheduled to begin."

Watch the TikTok video below:

3 Briefly News articles about Cape Town

• Giant retail group Woolworths donated the food it had prepared for 24,000 Cape Town Marathon participants to 18 charities, after the race was cancelled.
• A young man shared a video showcasing the shockingly high rental prices in Cape Town, including a back room in Claremont listed for nearly R10,000.
• A woman successfully pranked security guards at a Cape Town beach at night by pretending to be a mermaid who had just emerged from the ocean.

Source: Briefly News