From ziplining above the fynbos, to the Stellenbosch Trail Fund’s new partnership with Stellenbosch University, and ambitions for Africa2Moon, there’s plenty keeping locals moving.
SOARING ABOVE THE FYNBOS
Adventure seekers can discover the Elgin Valley from a whole new perspective with Cape Canopy Tour, a thrilling zipline excursion in the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve.
Established in 2014 in partnership with CapeNature, this award- winning attraction takes guests more than 1 000m above sea level, combining breathtaking mountain scenery with an adrenaline-filled flight through the fynbos-covered landscape.
The half-day tour begins with a 4×4 drive into the mountains before guests take to the skies on a series of 11 exhilarating zipline slides of up to 300m. Along the route, visitors cross elevated platforms, soar above the Riviersonderend Gorge and navigate a suspension bridge above a spectacular double waterfall.
Suitable for guests aged five to 75, the four- to five-hour outing includes all equipment, training, conservation fees, a return mountain transfer, and the services of two trained Cape Canopy Tour guides. It’s an unforgettable way to explore the natural beauty of the Cape from above.
CALLING ALL HIKERS AND TRAIL RUNNERS
Stellenbosch Trail Fund (STF) is now working with Stellenbosch University to help maintain the hiking and running routes on Coetzenburg, showing that life is not only about mountain biking!
Significant repair work has already taken place and will continue consistently.
STF has also obtained approval from CapeNature to start repair work on the hiking trails inside Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, which are in dire need of regular maintenance.
This expansion of STF’s mountain trail work, which previously focused only on MTB routes, will require additional funding. Please support STF’s efforts by visiting their website here.
STELLENBOSCH ENGINEERS REACH FOR THE MOON
Researchers and postgraduate students from Stellenbosch University (SU) are playing a key role in one of Africa’s most ambitious space projects, contributing to technology that could soon make its way to the moon.
The SU’s Electronic Systems Laboratory (ESL) has been involved in the development of electronics for Africa2Moon, a South Africa-led initiative selected as one of the international payloads aboard China’s Chang’e-8 lunar mission, scheduled to launch in 2029. The mission aims to deploy the first Africa-designed low-frequency radio telescope antennas on the moon’s south pole, paving the way for future scientific discoveries that cannot be achieved from Earth.
Working alongside organisations that include the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (Sarao), the South African National Space Agency (Sansa) and several local universities and space technology companies, the ESL team has helped design the electronic systems that will allow the payload to communicate with the lunar lander.
Four SU MEng students also joined the project, developing key electronic and communication systems while balancing their postgraduate studies. Their work forms part of a technology demonstrator that will undergo testing before the flight-ready model is built.
For the ESL, the project continues a legacy of more than three decades of South African space engineering. Established as the development facility for South Africa’s first satellite, Sunsat, the laboratory has since contributed to numerous satellite, robotics and autonomous systems projects while training generations of engineers.
If successful, Africa2Moon will eventually deploy 55 lunar antennas – one for each African nation – creating the first African radio telescope array on the moon and opening a new frontier for both African science and space exploration.