Maropeng a’Afrika Leisure – popularly referred to as ‘Maropeng‘ – the official visitor centre for the Cradle of Human Kind World Heritage Site, is officially ‘Proudly South African’.
A popular tourist destination, also known as the birthplace of humanity, Maropeng has joined local enterprises and organisations which have met Proudly South African’s strict qualifying criteria. This means they receive Proudly SA’s official endorsement and become an official Proudly SA member which can also carry the Proudly SA logo (a registered trademark) as a mark of top quality.
“We are proud to be the first heritage site in South Africa to be accredited by Proudly South African and hope that our membership will prompt others within the heritage and tourism community to follow our lead. As South African born and bred, to have the endorsement of Proudly South African is a massive achievement for us at Maropeng,” Managing Director of Maropeng, Tony Rubin, says.
Maropeng means ‘returning to the place of origin’ in Setswana. Part of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, it is situated about an hour from Johannesburg and Pretoria and is a stone’s throw from the Sterkfontein Caves.
“As Proudly SA we continually celebrate, promote and create awareness around our national heritage as well as local tourism as a tool to create jobs and drive national pride. We are therefore thrilled to welcome Maropeng – a world-class facility – to the Proudly South African family,” says CEO of Proudly SA, Adv. Leslie Sedibe.
Winner of the 2008 Tourist Attraction category at the South African Tourism Welcome Awards, Maropeng offers visitors an opportunity to see original fossils, learn about how humankind was born, view tools of up to one million years old and tour 2500 square meters of exhibits with an underground boat ride, among other activities. Maropeng is also Fair Trade Tourism Certified.
