Lesotho's Afriski Mountain Resort has recorded its busiest day ever, welcoming a record 1 721 day visitors on July 18 despite one of its most challenging snow seasons in recent years.
Gerrie Schoeman, GM of Afriski Mountain Resort, told Travel News that the 2026 snow season had been more challenging than previous years due to significantly lower levels of natural snowfall, while weather conditions had also provided fewer opportunities for snowmaking than normally expected.
“Despite these challenges, our team maximised every available snowmaking window to ensure that skiing activities could continue throughout the season. While conditions have been demanding, we are pleased that we have continued to deliver a quality snow experience for our guests,” Schoeman said.
He added that artificial snowmaking had been “absolutely essential this season”.
“With very little natural snowfall, we relied almost entirely on our snowmaking infrastructure to establish and maintain skiable slopes. Reliable snowmaking has become increasingly important as weather patterns become more unpredictable, enabling us to provide guests with a consistent and enjoyable skiing experience.”
Schoeman said accommodation bookings had remained relatively consistent with previous seasons.
“The most noticeable trend this year has been the significant increase in day visitors. Almost 70% of visitors to Afriski come from South Africa, with the remainder mostly from Lesotho or elsewhere in southern Africa.
“The increasing number of day visitors demonstrates strong regional demand and we believe there is considerable potential to expand this market. At the same time, we will continue investing in accommodation, adventure activities and year-round experiences to encourage longer stays and repeat visits.”
