Maropeng means “returning to the place of origin” in Setswana and is the official visitor centre for The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site.

Maropeng provides three different products for schools:

Visitor Centre

The visitor centre at Maropeng showcases the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site and the unprecedented quantity of hominid fossils discovered in this area. A boat ride takes visitors through the life-giving elements of water, ice, earth and fire and thereafter interactive displays provide an understanding of the unique characteristics of modern humankind and impart a multitude of intriguing facts about the human population. The visitor centre is open daily from 9am to 5pm, and the last boat ride departs at 4pm. 

Hominid House

The Hominid House at Maropeng offers comfortable budget accommodation for school, sporting and tour groups. The four dormitory-style rooms at the Hominid House can sleep up to 120 children or adults. The communal bathrooms have been designed with privacy in mind. Guides, teachers or leaders are accommodated in neatly appointed single rooms. Meals are served in the public dining area and packed lunches can be arranged on request. 

Sterkfontein Caves

The Sterkfontein Caves in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site is one of the richest and most productive paleao-anthropological hominid fossil sites in the world, having yielded some of the most valuable and oldest evidence of the origins of humankind ever found. The caves are open daily from 9am to 5pm. Guided tours are available and the last tour departs at 4pm. Booking is advisable as visitor numbers are limited.

Contact Maropeng on 014 577 9000 or info@maropeng.co.za for further information, or visit the Maropeng website.