“New Fear Unlocked”: Tourists Stranded on Table Mountain
- Visitors atop Table Mountain faced unexpected delays after a cable car malfunction left hundreds stranded for hours in cold and windy conditions
- Anxiety grew among travellers, especially those with flights scheduled the following day, as uncertainty surrounded when operations would resume
- Staff reportedly stepped in with blankets and warm drinks, easing tensions while technical teams worked overnight to resolve the issue
By morning, relief arrived as the system restarted and visitors were safely transported down. The experience sparked widespread reactions online, with many joking that it had unlocked a brand-new travel fear.
Source: Getty Images
Visitors allegedly experienced hours of uncertainty after a cable car malfunction left them stranded atop Table Mountain. Instagram page @thefeedcpt shared a video on 26 February 2026 detailing how a woman and nearly 200 other visitors were stranded for about seven hours. According to the tourist, they initially thought it would last a few minutes, but to their surprise, it got late and dark, and strong winds and cold conditions set in.
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She explained that the delay caused panic, especially for those with travel plans the following day. She herself had a flight to catch and feared missing it as the hours passed with no clear indication of when operations would resume.
Cold winds tested stranded visitors
Despite the anxiety, she praised the staff for their professionalism and care. Blankets and hot chocolate were reportedly distributed to help visitors stay warm during the long wait. As night turned into morning, relief finally came when the cable car system resumed operations.
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The incident posted widely by the Instagram page @thefeedcpt sparked widespread reactions online, with many jokingly calling it a new fear unlocked. Some even shared that they would panic as they are scared of heights. While cableway disruptions are rare, the experience reminded travellers of how quickly weather and technical issues can impact even the most iconic tourist attractions.
Source: Instagram
Watch the Instagram video below:
Here’s what Mzansi said
Dinare_1.0 commented:
“OMG. 🙆♂️ 7 hours!”
Key Gunnn commented:
“Crazy how walking down would have taken an hour or two.”
Lalahce commented:
“That cable car has been working non-stop since last summer. Give it a break and hike down. 😂”
Natalie Symes81 commented:
“Can’t hike down if you’re not prepared for an evening hike.”
MatthewRissik commented:
“Kloof Corner has a few stairs, and it’s about 30 minutes down.”
Saadiajdnazlu commented:
“Big ups to the friendly staff whose shift ended but had to make sure everyone was okay, only getting home in the early morning hours and still waking up early again to be there.”
Lady_lee1808 commented:
“We had electricity outages yesterday in the area, so it may have been that.”
sgerrit commented:
“There is literally a path for you to walk down. Platteklip hiking trail. It goes right down to the road. Takes 2 hours. Shew.”
Quon Llee commented:
“My fear confirmed, hence why I never go up there.”
Thezenhammer commented:
“That’s crazy that they don’t know how to use their legs to walk down like a normal human.”
3 Other Briefly News stories about Table Mountain
- Aircraft and ground crews raced to contain flames, as smoke drifted across parts of Table Mountain and emergency services enforced hiking trail closures.
- A honeymoon hike on one of Cape Town’s most popular trails on Table Mountain turned into an unexpected challenge for a visiting couple.
- South Africans caught wind of a video showing visitors at Table Mountain and how popular a spot it has become, prompting reactions.
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Source: Briefly News
