Maropeng Visitor Centre

About this tour

The next time your six year old asks where we come from, a visit to Maropeng at the Cradle of Humankind is waiting to answer those age-old questions. Maropeng is a Setswana word meaning "returning to the place of origin", the theme of the attraction, which highlights that humankind originated in Africa. It is within easy reach of Johannesburg and Pretoria and overlooks the Magaliesberg and Witwatersberg mountain ranges.

This world-class visitor centre was officially opened by President Thabo Mbeki on 7 December 2005. He compared the Cradle of Humankind to a massive 47,000 hectare library of archaeological and palaeontological information, with Maropeng as its reference section.

From the minute you arrive at the car park the journey of discovery starts, as the huge mound of the Tumulus comes into view. Visitors approach along the processional way, then go down into the bowels of the earth to a mysterious underground lake. A boat then whisks you back four billion years in geological time, through the basic elements of water, air, fire and earth.

Still to come are the Birth of the Cradle (how the caves formed and life emerged), the Path to Humanity (five hominid models on display), What it Means to be Human, the Science Zone, and finally Sustainability. An original fossil display, on loan from various scientific institutions, is the highlight of the visit.