With Halloween rapidly approaching, we thought we’d explore some of South Africa’s spookiest places. From haunted roads to spine-tingling buildings, it’s time to go on a ghost hunt.
Book a Mystery Ghost Bus tour
To ease you into all things freaky, why not book a Mystery Ghost Bus tour. It’s supposed to be a fun ride around some of Durban, Cape Town, PE, Pretoria and Joburg’s hair-raising locations. Sit back and look forward to thrilling tales of paranormal encounters. You might even be allowed to get off the bus at a few of the sites and explore the surroundings.
Offer the Uniondale hitchhiker a lift
Ever heard of the Uniondale hitchhiker? The tale goes that a couple crashed their Volkswagen Beetle in the Kamanassie Mountains on a stormy night in 1968. Maria Charlotte Roux died on impact, and her fiancé later succumbed to his injuries. It’s said that on a rainy night you might come across a young woman trying to hitchhike. If you stop to pick her up, she’ll ask to be taken to Porterstraat twee, de Lange. After travelling a few meters she disappears into the darkness. And if you stop to check where she’s gone, apparently the passenger door opens and closes. Freaky stuff!
Be wear flashing lights near Beaufort West
They say a man murdered his wife in a riverbed near Beaufort West and on some nights you can see a fast-moving light running up and down the river.
Meet Midland Meander’s helpful ghost
Not all ghosts should be feared. Some should be given a gold star, like the Nottingham Road Hotel’s ghost. It’s not sure whether she fell or was pushed to her death but Charlotte, who resides in room 10, likes to clean dirty rooms. She’ll make your bed, hang your towels and tidy your bags, all while you have breakfast. Now isn’t that a friendly and accommodating ghost?
Solve the mystery
Why is the Kempton Park Hospital abandoned? A brave few have bribed the guards to let them in at night, and they say that you can see ghostly figures roaming and hear babies crying. If you want to explore this abandoned hospital, you need to do it soon, because apparently, it’s going to be demolished shortly.
Get reacquainted with a library
If you like things that go bump in the night, look no further than the Port Elizabeth library. It’s said that the spirit of a former caretaker still man’s the library’s doors. He also stacks books. So if the silence doesn’t bother you, take a look for yourself.
Lastly, enjoy a glass of wine with a few mischievous spirits
One of the Cape’s oldest wine farms is said to be home to a few naughty ghosts. While sipping on world-class wine at Zorgvliet Country Lodge, you can look forward to lights flickering on and off, and doors closing and opening unexpectedly on their own. As you are drinking wine, it is possible that alcohol has influenced a few people’s memories, but hey, anything for a show.
Throughout South Africa, there are places to thrill and chill. If you’re up for a spot of ghost hunting, you now know where to begin.