Official reopening celebrates return of iconic Cango Caves

The Cango Caves officially celebrated its reopening during a ceremony on Friday, 24 July, marking a significant milestone for tourism in the Klein Karoo following months of disruption caused by devastating floods and a major rockfall that forced the closure of the R328 access road.

The event was attended by representatives from the Oudtshoorn Municipality, tourism stakeholders, Oudtshoorn Business Chamber, and invited guests, who gathered to celebrate the reopening of one of South Africa’s most iconic tourist attractions.

According to local tourism representatives and the Executive Mayor of Oudtshoorn, Zoe Tyatya, the prolonged closure resulted in millions of rands in lost revenue as tourists were forced to cancel their trips.

The economic ripple effect was felt as far as the southern side of the regional mountain ranges, negatively impacting coastal towns such as Mossel Bay and George, where visitor numbers dropped significantly.

The R328 (Cango Caves Road) officially reopened to traffic on 10 July under stop-and-go control after extensive emergency repairs and slope stabilisation work, while the Cango Caves welcomed visitors again from 11 July.

Cango Caves Manager Allison Moos said preparations to welcome visitors back began immediately after news that the road would reopen.

“As soon as we received the news that the road would reopen, we started making plans to reopen the following day,” she said.

Moos said staff were thrilled to welcome visitors back after the prolonged closure.

“The staff are happy to be back at work and excited to welcome visitors to the Cango Caves once again. It has been wonderful to see tourists returning and to share this special place with them again,” she said. Although the route is once again accessible, rockfall mitigation and permanent engineering works will continue over the coming months.

The official reopening ceremony recognised the collaborative efforts of the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure, Oudtshoorn Municipality, engineers, contractors and tourism partners whose work made it possible to safely restore access to the world-renowned attraction.

The severe flooding earlier this year caused extensive damage to the R328, cutting off access to the caves and dealing a significant blow to tourism in the region. The reopening not only restores access to one of South Africa’s most famous natural landmarks but also provides a welcome boost to local tourism businesses and the broader Klein Karoo economy.