Semonkong Waterfalls Resort
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Invest in Lesotho’s
Semonkong Waterfalls Resort
A Premier Greenfield Tourism Development in the Lesotho Highlands. Your Gateway to Adventure and Nature in the Lesotho Highlands. A premier greenfield investment opportunity set above the iconic Maletsunyane Falls – the World’s tallest Single-Drop Waterfall and Southern Africa’s most breathtaking natural wonder.
Introduction
Partner with Lesotho/Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) to Develop a Landmark Eco-Adventure Destination.
This unique opportunity blends an upscale lodge with signature adventure infrastructure to capture rising intra-African leisure travel and Lesotho’s resurgent tourism sector.
The project integrates three core components within the spectacular Maletsunyane Falls amphitheatre:
Boutique Lodge & Chalets:
Premium accommodation with panoramic gorge views.
World’s Longest Zipline:
A record-breaking adventure attraction spanning the gorge.
Pedestrian Suspension Bridge:
Enhancing accessibility and visitor experience.
The site leverages existing tourism infrastructure and demonstrated demand from established operators like Semonkong Lodge & the annual Maletsunyane Braai Festival.
Semonkong, near Maletsunyane Waterfalls – 115–130 km from Maseru; approximately 3-hour drive.
Strengths & Opportunities
Market Evidence
Iconic Natural Asset:
Maletsunyane Falls features a 192-meter single-drop certified by Guinness for the world’s longest commercial abseil (204 meters), providing immediate “bucket-list” appeal.
Demand Recovery & Growth:
International arrivals increased 35.6% (2023 vs 2022) with accommodation sales showing strong growth. Lesotho welcomed over 1 million visitors in 2024, demonstrating robust sector recovery.
Strategic Events Calendar:
The annual Maletsunyane Braai Festival and the international annual Roof of Africa Rally – “Mother of Hard Enduro” provide peak-period demand and media visibility.
Air Access & Connectivity:
Daily regional flights via Airlink (JNB-MSU, 40-55 minutes) support short-break packages and complement self-drive itineraries from South Africa.
Strategic Advantages
The Lesotho Advantage:
Distinctive High-Altitude Brand: The “Experience Elevation” positioning enables year-round offerings from summer canyoning to winter “snow-watch” and skiing experiences, supporting shoulder-season yield management.
MICE Infrastructure Development:
LTDC is advancing a National Convention Centre expansion with 5-star hotel components, strengthening Maseru as a meetings hub and creating pre/post-tour extensions to Semonkong.
Regional Accessibility:
Seamless access via Johannesburg hub combined with honest marketing of transit times (3 hours Maseru-Semonkong) improves guest satisfaction and manages expectations.
Policy & Fiscal Framework:
Tourism is a national priority with the Tourism Levy (1.5% of room rate) operational since October 2022, funding destination development and marketing. Corporate tax remains regionally competitive at 25%.
Strong Tourism Momentum and Workforce Readiness:
Lesotho also offers a strong human capital base for tourism operations. An estimated 4,700 trained or trainable individuals are available to support the accommodation and hospitality subsectors. The broader tourism industry supported over 20,000 jobs in 2013, with the accommodation segment accounting for nearly 3,000 jobs.
Regional Access and Market Integration
This allows visa free movement entry of SADC citizens for a period of up to 90 days. Lesotho can also benefit from visitors from both the region and the Northern Hemisphere during the Austral summer.
Lesotho’s membership of SADC also improves opportunities for training. The SADC Protocol on the Development of Tourism provides for harmonisation of tourism services and standards.
Maseru is the main gateway to Lesotho, 2-3 hours’ drive from Semonkong Moeshoeshoe I International Airport in Maseru
is served by direct flights to and from Johannesburg, a major international hub. Maseru is 414 kms (4.5 hours’ drive) by road from Johannesburg, 344 kms (6 hours) from Durban and 685 kms (11.5 hours) from Cape Town.
Lesotho’s growing middle-class African tourist base is increasingly engaging in domestic and regional leisure travel. Currently, 90% of tourism spend is driven by business travel, but domestic leisure spending is projected to grow steadily by 3.0% annually through 2028 which presents strong growth potential for nature and adventure offerings like Semonkong.
List of investment opportunities
Component 1: Lodge & Chalets (Phased Development):
• 24-40 keys in clustered chalets with thermal efficiency for high-altitude conditions.
• Spa, hot-pool pods, and fire-led F&B with local sourcing.
• Experience grid includes abseil concierge, trout fishing, Basotho pony safaris, and stargazing.
Target market: Weekender couples, adventure families, and FITs on SA-Lesotho circuits.
Component 2 – Signature Zipline (Gorge-to-Gorge):
• Long-span, high-speed dual-line zip engineered to international safety standards (EN/ACCT).
• Revenue from per-ride pricing with photo/video upsell and combo packages.
Component 3 – Suspension Bridge (Iconic Photo Opportunity):
• Panoramic pedestrian bridge linking view sites and creating interpretive trail circuits.
• Additional monetization through guided walks and sunrise/sunset access.
Programming & Events Integration:
• Braai Festival VIP decks and pop-up bars. Winter music nights and trail-running micro-events.
• Collaboration with Maseru MICE operators for incentive trips.
Project Assumption
Project Structure and Public Sector Support
This is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) opportunity. The investor will lead the development, management, and promotion of the resort. Government support is anticipated for essential infrastructure upgrades, including road access to the site.
Maletsunyane Falls Gorge, Semonkong.
The financial analysis of the Semonkong Resort investment opportunity is computed over a tenyear period. Revenue and expenditure projections are in line with industry growth prospects and market potential and have been informed by and benchmarked against industry standards and norms. In addition, assumptions relating to inflation; depreciation and salvage value; and company tax have been worked out based on the existing laws and directives of the country. The figures above represent high level estimates as of January 2021 and are not derived from a full feasibility study. Investors are advised to conduct their own due diligence. There are no specific investment incentives for the tourism sector in Lesotho, except for the MICE sub sector
Disclaimer
This web page provides a strategic overview. All financial figures are based on a high-level investment opportunity model and should be used as an indicator of potential only. Investors are strongly encouraged to conduct independent due diligence and a full feasibility study with the support of the LTDC to validate all assumptions under current market conditions.