The Cango Caves, situated in the Swartberg foothills near Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape, are the most celebrated cave system in South Africa and one of the largest show caves on the African continent. Their recorded history spans more than two centuries, from the first documented descent in 1780 to the present day.

Discovery and early exploration

The first recorded exploration of the Cango Caves took place on 12 July 1780, when a farmer named Jacobus van Zyl descended into the cave entrance with a local Khoikhoi guide. The opening to the main chamber — now called Van Zyl’s Hall — was already known to the local Khoisan people, who may have sheltered in its entrance for centuries. Van Zyl was almost certainly not the first person to enter the cave, but his is the earliest written record of a descent into the deeper sections.

The name Cango derives from a Khoikhoi word; the precise meaning is debated, but it may relate to a word for “a wet place” or to the name of the Khoisan group who knew the site. The English traveller and naturalist William Burchell visited the caves in 1815 and described them in his Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa, one of the earliest published accounts of the system.

Scientific interest

The Cango Caves are formed in Precambrian limestone (the Cango Caves Formation), which makes them a very different geological system from the quartzite caves of the Cape Peninsula. The limestone was deposited in a shallow sea approximately 750–800 million years ago. Subsequent folding and faulting brought the beds to the surface in the Swartberg region, where groundwater began dissolving them to form the cave.

The cave contains extensive formations — stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and cave coral — formed by the slow deposition of calcite from dripping or flowing water. The largest chamber, Van Zyl’s Hall, is approximately 107 metres long, 49 metres wide, and up to 16 metres high. Several sections of the cave are of international calibre as show-cave features.

Systematic exploration

For most of the nineteenth century, visits to the caves were informal, guided by local farmers. In the twentieth century, systematic exploration and development for tourism began in earnest. By the mid-twentieth century the first kilometre of accessible passages had been opened to guided tours, and electric lighting was installed to replace candles and lanterns.

Later exploration pushed further into the mountain, and portions of the cave were found to extend far beyond the show-cave sections. The deeper sections — sometimes referred to as Cango 2 and Cango 3 — require a permit and are not part of standard tourist tours. They contain sections of significant scientific interest, including ancient flowstone deposits that have been used for palaeoclimate research.

Significance for South African speleaology

The Cango Caves have played a central role in the history of South African speleaology. Their size, accessibility, and spectacular formations made them the most visible cave system in the country, and interest in them stimulated the formation of the first organised caving bodies, including the South African Spelaeological Association. Many South African cavers had their first underground experience at Cango, and the caves remain an important reference point for cave science in the subregion.

The Darklife survey library includes cave surveys from the Oudtshoorn district; see the Oudtshoorn area page for details.

Chronology

Pre-1780

Khoisan people use the cave entrance as a shelter. The cave is known locally but not formally described.

12 July 1780

Jacobus van Zyl makes the first recorded descent into the main cave with a Khoikhoi guide.

1815

William Burchell visits and publishes one of the earliest written accounts of the cave.

Late 19th century

Informal guided visits by local farmers become established. The cave develops a reputation as a regional attraction.

Early 20th century

The caves are surveyed more systematically and development for organised tourism begins.

Mid-20th century

Electric lighting installed in the show-cave sections. Formal guided tours established. SASA members explore the deeper sections.

Late 20th century

Deeper sections (Cango 2, Cango 3) explored and partially documented. Scientific study of formations and palaeoclimate records begins.

Present

The Cango Caves are operated as a major tourist attraction and World Heritage Site candidate, with conservation management by the Oudtshoorn municipality.