We are encouraging our participants to arrive in South Africa a day or so before the meeting starts i.e. on the 12 or 13 October.

A coach transfer from the Johannesburg region will be organised for mid-morning on the 14 October to the Cradle Boutique hotel for participant check-in prior to the start of the conference that afternoon. More information will be available closer to the meeting.

Here are some accommodation and transportation recommendations for Johannesburg.

Sandton, Rosebank, and Melrose Arch are generally considered the best and safest accommodation areas in Johannesburg for visitors, offering great walkability, upscale dining and world class shopping.

Melrose Arch is a secure mixed-use urban precinct nestled between Sandton and Rosebank, and it functions as a ‘city within a city’.

Sandton and Rosebank each have their own Gautrain train stations providing easy commuting and access to OR Tambo International Airport. Melrose Arch is immediately adjacent to the M1 Highway and offers secure and controlled walkability day or night.

Apartheid Museum, Johannesburg

South Africa is a vibrant and diverse nation with a unique spirit that is born from a dark beginning, but one that brings South Africans together. This beginning has through adversity shaped what South Africa has blossomed into, providing the world with a lesson that should never be forgotten. Although history can never be changed, it can always be learned from, and humanity can always find inspiration in its stories. 

The Apartheid Museum, close to downtown Johannesburg, gives life in remembrance to the notorious system of racial discrimination that became synonymous with South Africa from 1948 (when the white-minority National Party was voted into power) until 1994, the year in which the country held its first fully democratic elections, when a  New South Africa was born.

The implementation of apartheid policies by the white minority and South Africa's peaceful transition to a non-racial democratic society are important to this unique cultural destination. This is what makes the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg worth visiting, not only for tourists but South Africans themselves.

Visitors to the museum are greeted with a very real reflection of what it was like to live in a racially segregated society. The museum has two entrances labelled “White” and “Non-white”, and depending on which ticket you are issued, you will be ushered through one of the two.

Excerpt from SouthAfrica.net
Find the full article here; The Apartheid Museum – a soulful reminder of the triumph of human spirit | History | Johannesburg | Museums | Attractions | Culture | Family | People | Gauteng | Vibrant culture (CD)

Game Reserve, Cradle Boutique Hotel, Cradle of Humankind

The Cradle Boutique Hotel, situated within 9,000 hectares of spectacular nature reserve, is a unique, luxurious destination in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind. It is the ideal location from which to explore your origins.

For more information click here; https://cradlehotel.co.za/explore-our-reserve/

Maropeng Visitor Centre, Cradle of Humankind

Located approximately 30km from the Cradle Boutique Hotel, Maropeng is the official visitors’ centre for the Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site within easy distance of Johannesburg and Pretoria. Its name means “returning to the place of origin” in Setswana, one of South Africa’s 11 official languages. At the Maropeng Visitor Centre you will journey back in time from the start of our universe, some 14 billion years ago, to the present and beyond.

Inside the tumulus building, you'll find fun, interactive displays that could keep you occupied for a morning or even a whole day, whilst serving up plenty of food for thought about our future in the 21st century and beyond.

The centre lies on the boundary of a 47,000-hectare area, which was recognised as a World Heritage Site in 1999. More than 1000 hominid fossils and several hominid species have been found in a network of limestone caves here, spanning a period of around three million years.

Hominids are a family that includes humans and their direct ancestors, and the Cradle of Humankind is the richest treasure trove of early hominid fossils on Earth.

There are more than a dozen major fossil sites in the Cradle of Humankind, and since not all these sites are open to the public, the Maropeng Centre was developed to provide visitors with an overview of the significance of the area as well as the story of human development.

Excerpt from SouthAfrica.net
Find the full article here; Where it All Began – Maropeng Visitor Centre, Cradle of Humankind (GL)

Sterkfontein Caves, Cradle of Humankind

The Sterkfontein and Swartkrans Caves are globally significant heritage sites, known internationally for their fundamental contributions to the field of palaeoanthropology. They are located approximately 18km from the Cradle Boutique Hotel.

An active research program continues at both sites while exciting historical collections yielded from previous excavations represent some of the most widely studied and published hominin materials.

In addition, Sterkfontein has been the only publicly accessible large cave in the Cradle of Humankind for many years and attracts between 80,000 and 100,000 visitors a year for the cave tour and small museum. It is a major tourist destination in Gauteng and hosts tens of thousands of school learners a year for tours of the caves.

As of April 1, 2024, following the optimal reconfiguration of the partnership, Wits, through its Faculty of Science,  is now responsible for all research and visitor operations at the Sterkfontein and Swartkrans Caves.

For more information including tour times, pricing and ticket purchases, click here; sterkfonteincaves.wits.ac.za

Sun Eagle Adventures, Cradle of Humankind

For the more energetic, take a look at Sun Eagle Adventures located at Maropeng – Official Visitor Centre for the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site.

They offer paintball, mountain biking, guided quad biking, bushwalking and archery. There are minimum ages for some activities i.e. 8 years old for paintball and archery, 16 years old for solo mountain or quad biking, and an indemnity form may also be required for some activities. These requirements are clearly stated in the FAQ section of the activity information.

Check out all the activities, including pricing, times, inclusions, minimum requirements if applicable, bookings and availability here; WTE All Tours – Sun Eagle Adventures