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Where is it?
The crater, one of the best-preserved meteorite impact craters anywhere in the world, is about 40 km north of Pretoria. The Tswaing Crater is managed by the Northern Flagship Institution, Gauteng Nature Conservation and the City of Tswane, with involvement from the local community. For information on tours, call (012) 790 2302. The site is open from 07:30 to 17:00 every day of the year, except 25 December and 1 January.
How was the crater formed?
More than 200 000 years ago a blazing, stony meteorite the size of half a football field slammed into the earth's crust. The impact formed a huge crater, 1,4 km in diameter and 200 m deep. Rough estimates of the damage caused by this relatively small impact event indicate that in an area of at least 1 000 square kilometres (about 35 x 35 km) around the Tswaing Crater nearly all life forms would have vapourised.
What is there to see?
There is a museum adjacent to the crater. A path leads from the museum to the crater, along the rim, and down to the central lake. The crater is covered with indigenous trees and bushes, and attracts a variety of bird life.
Interesting facts
The name 'Tswaing' means 'Place of Salt' in Setswana. This name refers to a saline lake that covers the crater floor. As early as 120 000 years ago Stone Age people, and later ancestors of the San, inhabited the area.
More information
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