Lesotho's Afriski Resort Draws Thousands of Skiers Across Southern Africa

Afriski Mountain Resort, perched at about 3,200 m in Lesotho's northern Maluti Mountains, is the only fully operational ski resort in sub‑Saharan Africa. The 17‑hectare site, opened 25 years ago, attracts thousands of winter‑sport enthusiasts each season, with almost 70 % of visitors coming from neighboring South Africa and the remainder from Lesotho and other southern‑African countries.

The resort supports Lesotho's tourism sector, which contributed roughly 7 % of the nation’s $2.6 billion GDP last year. Afriski employs 227 staff members—mostly Lesotho nationals—with a small contingent of South African instructors, and offers accommodation for up to 420 overnight guests. Artificial snow machines keep the slopes operational throughout the Southern Hemisphere winter, fueling a growing interest in skiing among Africans who traditionally associate the sport with the Alps or North America.

The resort’s success provides valuable foreign‑exchange earnings for one of the world's poorest nations, as highlighted by the World Bank, and underscores Lesotho's unique positioning as a high‑altitude, snow‑bearing destination within the continent.