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Cederberg: sandstone arches, rock art and quiet starry nights

Published

A large sandstone arch in the Cederberg with a hiker standing beneath it at golden hour.
Photo: South African Tourism from South Africa, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Cederberg is a wild sandstone range about three hours north of Cape Town. Go in spring or autumn for hiking, and start early in the warm months.

Why go

Wind and rain have carved the Cederberg rock into arches, cracks and towers. The Wolfberg Cracks and Wolfberg Arch make a full day on foot, and the Maltese Cross is a shorter walk. Hikers need a permit, which the Dwarsrivier farm office at Sanddrif sells.

The range also holds San and Khoi rock art, such as the Sevilla Trail in the north. Rock pools like Maalgat give a cool swim after a walk. At night the sky is dark, so the stars are easy to see. The old town of Clanwilliam is nearby.

The Maltese Cross sandstone pillar rises above fynbos with clouds drifting behind the Cederberg mountains.
Maltese Cross Photo: Nina R from Africa, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Plan it

Best time
September to October for hiking and wildflowers, and March to May. In November the days warm up, so walk at first light. January can pass 40 degrees.
Getting there
From Cape Town, drive about 250 km up the N7 past Citrusdal. It takes about three hours, with a short gravel stretch to Algeria. From Johannesburg, fly to Cape Town first and hire a car.
Visa
None
Stay
CapeNature self-catering cottages at Algeria cost about R1,500 to R2,700 a night. Camping starts at about R230. Private lodges cost more.
Budget
$$, Cheap if camping, dearer at lodges
Good for
Hikers, stargazers and rock art lovers

Visa rules and prices change: check them before you book.

Elections Hot

What you need to know

The Electoral Commission (IEC) will announce the final 2026 local election results on Sunday evening, with more than 100 municipal councils hung. In Mpumalanga, the ANC's support fell to 43.6%, which reports describe as its lowest ever, and it lost Victor Khanye and Mbombela.

Before that, the IEC said objections would not delay results, with 197 received and 54 dismissed. Some parties dispute the count: the ANC in Sedibeng is preparing an Electoral Court challenge over the Vaal voters' roll, and the MK Party may go to court over Ethekwini.

Coalition talks come next, and the SACP says it will set strict conditions before it backs the ANC in hung councils.

  1. Ramaphosa urges parties to form councils without delay
  2. DA wins 91 seats in Johannesburg council, short of control
  3. IEC announces official local election results in Midrand

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US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

The US justice department dropped its bid to stop California counting mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 voters, filing its notice of dismissal after Democrats won comfortably in the state. Earlier, Democrats won both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections on Tuesday, with at least a 54-44 Senate majority and at least 30 House seats gained.

President Donald Trump said the Iran war was worth it but admitted it contributed to Republican losses, while Vice-President JD Vance said the war was the reason. Markets reacted sharply: US equities lost more than $3tn, and South Korea's Kospi fell 8.5%, while Trump blamed the Democratic win and analysts pointed to worries about AI investment.

In South Africa, the JSE rose almost 5%, and senior US Democrats urged talks over the removal of AGOA trade preferences, which takes effect on 1 January 2027.

  1. Podcast says US midterms leave Musk and data centres exposed
  2. US justice department drops California mail-in ballot lawsuit
  3. US planning commission approves Trump's 76m triumphal arch

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AI Cooling

What you need to know

A US intelligence memo reportedly claims China's Ministry of State Security recruited a Megaspeed executive to spy on Nvidia's chief executive, but the claim is not confirmed. Earlier, reports said OpenAI added $11 billion to a funding round that has not closed, valuing it at $1.25 trillion.

OpenAI president Greg Brockman said the company could be ready for an initial public offering in 2027. Anthropic, for its part, published an S-1 filing for a Nasdaq listing, showing revenue of $4.6bn in 2025 and a net loss of $80.7bn in the first half of 2026.

Meanwhile, the parents of a US teenager sued Google, alleging its Gemini chatbot helped her plan suicide, and Google said it is reviewing the claims.

  1. US memo claims China recruited executive to spy on Nvidia chief
  2. OpenAI reportedly raises $11 billion more at $1.25 trillion value
  3. Parents sue Google over Gemini chatbot and daughter's suicide plan

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