Table Mountain Facts

1. It is the only South African and only natural site on the planet to have a constellation of stars named after it. The constellation is called “Mensa”, which means ‘table’ in Latin.

2. Having withstood 6 million years of erosion, it hosts the richest floral kingdom on earth, with more than 1 470 floral species.

3. The Khoi people used to call the mountain Hoerikwaggo (Mountain of the Sea).

4. The first European to climb it, Antonio de Saldanha, called it Taboa de Caba (Table of the Cape).

5. The mountain is now officially recognized as one of the new seven world wonders.

6. Table Mountain is often covered in cloud. The cloud that forms around the mountain is called “table cloth”.

7. It is South Africa’s most photographed landmark.

8. Table Mountain is featured on Cape Town’s flag.

9. There are many caves on Table Mountain, the biggest one being Wynberg.

10. Over 800,000 people visit it each year.

11. The rocks on the mountain are over 600,000,000 years old making Table Mountain one of the oldest mountains in the world.

12. More than 70% of all the plants found on the mountain are endemic, meaning they are not found anywhere else.