New 7 Wonders of Nature

Our African wonder

New 7 Wonders of Nature

Table Mountain is proud to be one of the official New7Wonders of Nature, and the only one to be located in an urban area, making it highly accessible. Competing against major international attractions, Table Mountain made it to the top seven after a campaign that attracted more than 100-million global votes.

The New7Wonders of Nature campaign began in 2007. The support from voters, including South Africa’s favourite archbishop, Desmond Tutu, was overwhelming.

Worldwide voting in the New7Wonders of Nature competition closed on 11 November 2011. These seven sites have now all been officially inaugurated as the world’s New7Wonders of Nature:

The Amazon, South America
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Iguazú Falls, Argentina and Brazil
Jeju Island, South Korea
Komodo, Indonesia
Puerto Princesa Underground River, Philippines
Table Mountain, South Africa

In December 2012, the plaque that proudly confirms Table Mountain's status as one of the New7Wonders of Nature was officially unveiled. The ceremony was followed by a massive celebration through the streets of Cape Town as part of the city's annual switch-on of the festive lights. Dancing, singing and a giant rotating Table Mountain float marked the historic occasion.

Starting in 2013, a New7Wonders legacy project was launched, in conjunction with Cape Town’s World Design Capital 2014 programme. To celebrate Table Mountain’s success in the New7Wonders campaign, a series of giant yellow frames were erected in various locations around Cape Town. Each one offers a different perspective on the Mother City’s most famous attraction and visitors to the frame sites are encouraged to stop and take a photo and share them with us in our gallery.

The first frame to be built was at the V&A Waterfront and was officially opened by Cape Town’s Mayor, Patricia de Lille, the Western Cape MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde, and local artist Porky Hefer, who designed the frames.

More frames have since been erected, and can now be found at Signal Hill, Eden on the Bay in Bloubergstrand, Khayelitsha’s Lookout Hill, the Cape Town Station forecourt, the historical District Six, and the newly-developed Silo District.

On 11 November 2016, the Cableway celebrated the fifth anniversary of becoming one of the New7Wonders of Nature.

Thank you to everyone who voted for Table Mountain, and continues to support us. The title has provided a huge boost in visitor numbers and continues to benefit local tourism in Cape Town.