Most people don’t picture snow when they think of Africa. But every winter, thousands of visitors head to Lesotho, a small mountain kingdom, to hit the slopes.
Lesotho sits entirely above 1,000 meters in elevation. That makes it the coldest country on the continent. In the highlands, winter temperatures often drop to minus 8 degrees Celsius between June and August.
A single resort, high in the mountains
The country’s only full ski resort is Afriski Mountain Resort, located about 3,200 meters above sea level in the northern Maluti Mountains. It’s also the only ski resort in all of sub-Saharan Africa.
The resort sits about 80 kilometers from Butha-Buthe, the nearest big town. It opened 25 years ago and covers 17 hectares of skiable terrain, roughly the size of 24 football pitches.
Because natural snowfall isn’t always reliable, Afriski uses snow-making machines. That keeps the slopes open right through the winter season.
A small but growing economic boost
Tourism made up about 7% of Lesotho’s GDP last year, in an economy worth roughly $2.6 billion. The World Bank ranks Lesotho among the world’s poorer nations, so income from visitors matters.
Afriski employs 227 people. Most are Lesotho nationals; around 30 staff, mostly ski instructors, come from South Africa.
Most visitors come from South Africa
According to Afriski CEO Theo Ferreira, nearly 70% of visitors travel from South Africa. Most others come from within Lesotho or elsewhere in the region.
Travelers usually drive in from South Africa, since Lesotho is completely surrounded by it. Those flying internationally can land in Maseru, the capital.
The resort can house 420 overnight guests, with nearby towns offering overflow accommodation during busy periods. Its busiest single day this year drew more than 1,400 visitors. In 2025, the resort’s record day topped 1,600 visitors.
First-timers on the slopes
For many visitors, Afriski is where they try skiing for the first time, falls included.
Janco Smits, a student from Cape Town, said learning was tough at first. “At the start it was a little discouraging because you fall, and you fall hard,” he said. But after one lesson, he added, his confidence grew quickly.
Thato Ramaphoko, visiting from Pretoria for the first time, said the experience challenged his assumptions about Africa. He noted that most people associate the continent with sun and desert, not snow, and called seeing it firsthand “mind-blowing.”
More than just skiing
Visitors can also try local food and drink, including traditional sausage rolls and Maluti Lager, a Lesotho-brewed beer.
A popular souvenir is the Basotho blanket, a colorful, patterned textile that also shows up in local clothing and has been worked into ski jackets and gear sold at the resort.