"So Sad": Tiffindell, SA's Only Ski Resort Sits Abandoned 5 Years After Pandemic Closure

• Ron Mackenzie, chief wandering officer of The Safari Guys, visited the abandoned Tiffindell Ski Resort in the Eastern Cape
• The resort, which sits near South Africa's highest mountain pass at 3,001 metres above sea level, has been closed since the pandemic
• South Africans who once visited the resort are sharing warm memories and calling for someone to bring it back to life

South Africa's only ski resort has been sitting empty for five years, and a recent visit by a travel content creator has reignited a wave of nostalgia among those who once loved it.

Ron Mackenzie, chief wandering officer of The Safari Guys, shared photos and a video tour on 30 July 2026 from his trip to Tiffindell Ski Resort, nestled in the Southern Drakensberg near the Eastern Cape village of Rhodes. He described the scene as "sad and strange," noting that despite five years of closure, the resort looked as though guests had only just left.

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SA's highest mountain pass

To reach Tiffindell, visitors must navigate the Carlislehoekspruit Pass, which Mackenzie described as one of South Africa's most spectacular mountain roads. The route winds through grasslands, valleys and dramatic peaks that draw comparisons to the Scottish Highlands. The Ben Macdhui Pass, which runs through the resort, reaches approximately 3,001 metres above sea level, making it South Africa's highest mountain pass. For context, the well-known Sani Pass tops out at around 2,876 metres.

According to Wikipedia, Tiffindell, established in 1993, was once ranked 19th on CNN's Top 100 Ski Runs of the World. It is one of only two ski resorts in sub-Saharan Africa and offered snowmaking, ski instruction, a terrain park and seasonal FIS racing events. It shut during the COVID-19 pandemic and has not reopened.

Mzansi remembers Tiffindell

South Africans flooded the comments section on the Facebook page with fond memories of the resort:

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@Linda Hyman said:

"Quite a wondrous holiday we enjoyed there at Tiffendell. Such a sad pity that such a vibrant place is closed down. Please, someone re-open that gem in a million! Bring it back to life!"

@Eric Chowles shared:

"I learned to ski there when I was about 10 years old, about 25 years ago."

@Tim Colvin wrote:

"Done Rhodes and surrounding passes twice. Sometimes very surreal. Never in the snow. Still very beautiful."

@Louise Sloman-Fuller recalled:

"As a teenager I spent holidays on a farm in the area. The best thing was riding horses in the mountains when there had been a light snow."

@Susann Swart added:

"My father was born on a farm nearby. We visited the farm and Rhodes when I was a teenager. What a beautiful town and part of South Africa."

Mackenzie urged anyone planning to drive the Carlislehoekspruit Pass to research conditions beforehand, as weather can make it a very different challenge.

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See the Facebook post below:

More on abandoned SA landmarks

• Briefly News recently reported on a Cape Town man's rant about the abandoned Athlone Power Station, striking a chord with South Africans over years of municipal inaction.
• A public swimming pool in Emfuleni has sat abandoned for two decades, now completely overtaken by algae, sparking outrage over neglect.
• Scientists discovered a 210-million-year-old dinosaur species in Zimbabwe, with South Africans flooding social media with jokes after the find made headlines.

Source: Briefly News