Dark Tourism in South Africa: 4 Places to Visit

While wine farms, Blue Flag beaches, and national parks pop up around the topic of South African road trips, there is something more jarring, more confrontational, just below the surface of tourism hotspots that can be explored. Dark tourism in South Africa will take you to places where important, yet often deeply emotional, parts of the country’s history take centre stage.

To really say that you’ve explored a place, you’ve got to confront the darker aspects of the region’s past. Let’s delve deeper into what dark tourism actually is.

What is Dark Tourism?

Former guards quarters on Robben Island | Photo: steve_is_on_holiday

Dark tourism is travel associated with touring places that have been the sites of tragedies. Everyone knows that the road to the 21st century hasn’t been all roses – anything but. Wars, discrimination, and genocide litter the pages of history books. However, instead of sweeping these crucial moments of human history under the rug, some countries have memorialised certain destinations and events as a way to remember lives lost and ensure that these crimes never happen again.

All over the world, you’ll find these memorials and museums. Some of the most famous include Auschwitz in Poland, a former concentration camp where over a million people were murdered during World War Two; the Killing Fields in Cambodia, where mass torture and killings were done as part of the Khmer Rouge; and the Paris Catacombs, a labyrinth of human bones and skulls.

Dark tourism is about the heartbreaking side of history – it doesn’t involve going to active war zones or promoting “poverty tourism.” Rather, it’s embracing the full experience of a place instead of sticking to the well-manicured, rose-tinted surface.

This tourism niche isn’t relegated to the fringes – it’s a growing part of the industry. In fact, according to Future Market Insights, the dark tourism market is expected to be valued at around USD 40.82 billion by the year 2034.

“The inherent human curiosity about death, sufferance, and the darker aspects of history fuels the demand for dark tourism. Many individuals are fascinated by the opportunity to explore taboo topics and confront uncomfortable realities.”

Documentaries, movies, and series depicting somewhat romanticised versions of certain destinations and their pasts can in part be attributed to the growth of dark tourism, according to Future Market Insights.

What are the Dark Tourism Attractions in South Africa?

South Africa’s sordid past has left remnants in the rainbow nation that should be explored to understand the country’s history and to gather a newfound understanding of where we find ourselves now.

1. Robben Island: Former Prison Turned National Monument

Robben Island prison cells | Photo: Reville via Getty

This small island is one of the most iconic monuments in South Africa. Once a prison, it housed political prisoners during the apartheid regime, the most famous of whom was Nelson Mandela.

The Robben Island Museum was established in the 1990s to safeguard this UNESCO World Heritage Site and ensure it’s still around for decades to come so that travellers can visit and learn from the past. Robben Island’s history stretches far back beyond its well-known use as a prison.

During the 1800s, the island was a leper colony – during a Robben Island tour, you can visit the graveyard of the inhabitants who died from the disease. The island was also used as a military base during World War Two; plotting rooms, bunkers, and artillery batteries are all still found here.

Its most famous use was as a maximum-security prison that held many of South Africa’s anti-apartheid activists and freedom fighters. A tour of this section of Robben Island will conclude with a view of the cell in which Mandela was housed.

2. Battlefields Route: Military Struggles in SA

Isandlwana Memorial to the Zulu killed at the battle of Isandlwana in 1879 | Photo: DavidCallan via Getty

This route goes through KwaZulu-Natal and makes for an excellent road trip idea for history buffs. Here, you’ll travel through the sites of famous battles that shaped the country.

One stop is Isandlwana. It was here where the Zulu army accomplished an incredible victory over the British in 1879. Then travel to the memorial at Rorke’s Drift, a place where a small British garrison defended the mission station against a Zulu force.

The site of the Battle of Blood River is not to be missed. This is where the Afrikaans Voortrekkers fought the Zulu King Dingane and over 25,000 of his forces at the Ncome River. “Blood River” or “Bloedrivier” became the name of the site due to the river turning red with blood during the battle. You’re able to see replicas of the Voortrekker laager (wagon circle) and gain insights into this pivotal battle and its repercussions.

3. Kempton Park Hospital: Paranormal Hotspot

A room in the abandoned Kempton Park Hospital | Photo: Phillip Van Zyl

Paranormal sights also play a role in the dark tourism sector. These can be abandoned places or buildings where people claim to experience ghostly encounters.

Abandoned places are creepy, but the creepiness is taken to another level when the place in question is a hospital. Kempton Park Hospital is one such place.

Closed in 1996 due to being underused, the government has expressed interest in demolishing the hospital, but no such plans have come to fruition, leaving the hospital in its current state – which is petrifying. In the 1990s, basically just a lock was put on the door, leaving equipment, patient files, and even blood splatters behind.

Before the hospital became dilapidated, it was in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. This was where Andre Esterhuizen posed as a doctor from 1982 to 1992 – several babies died in his care. Esterhuizen was charged for his crimes and sentenced to 18 years in prison.

When you walk along the corridors of Kempton Park Hospital now (at your own risk!), you’ll pass graffiti on the walls, broken doors and hospital beds, and dangling lights. The hospital is often visited by paranormal investigators looking for proof of the spirits people have reported seeing.

4. The Castle of Good Hope

Exterior of Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town | Photo: steve_is_on_holiday via Getty

As the oldest existing colonial building in South Africa, the Castle of Good Hope near Cape Town’s CBD can’t be missed when exploring the city. It’s one of the best-preserved examples of 17th-century architecture in the world, and its history is long and definitely dark at times.

It was first constructed by the Dutch East India Company in the 1600s as a refreshment base for ships travelling between Europe and Asia; it housed a church, bakery, workshops, living quarters, and shops. During the Second Boer War (1899 to 1902), the castle was used as a prison – you can visit the cells today.

Two rooms in the corner of the Old Recruitment Building were the original interrogation chamber and dungeon. According to Dutch law, a criminal had to confess to his crime before he could be sentenced. Interrogation often included torture.

Visitors have reported hearing voices and footsteps in the dungeon as well as corridors. Some have also claimed to hear the bell in the bell tower ring on its own.

Is Dark Tourism Good or Bad?

Some question the promotion of dark tourism due to the relatively negative nature of these attractions. Here’s the thing: history is constructed of good and bad moments, and ignoring the bad doesn’t make its impact disappear.

Part of impactful tourism is exposing yourself to all sides of humanity and everything that shaped the place that you’re in. Visiting these attractions brings socio-political issues to light and can also help us appreciate how far humanity has come. Dark tourism can come under scrutiny if visitors are disrespectful at these sites.

Dark tourism in South Africa offers the opportunity to engage with the country’s complex history and confront the realities that have shaped its present. Visiting sites like these can give you a deeper understanding of the human experience. When you explore sites brimming with historical and cultural significance, remember to acknowledge the significance of these sites and conduct yourself respectfully.