"You have to come and see how beautiful the snow is here. The mountain is already covered," says Pierre De Wet, slope manager of Tiffindell Ski Resort.

I find this hard to believe as winter has just hit us, but obviously it's possible. Not many people are aware of this but South Africa, usually known for its sunny weather, has two ski resorts, namely Tiffindell Ski Resort in the Southern Drakensberg and the Afriski Leisure Kingdom in Lesotho.

We chat to Pierre about the Tiffindell winter wonderland…

Gotravel: How long have you been a ski instructor?
Pierre: Since 2003…but I’m now the slope manager.

Go travel: What made you become a ski instructor?
Pierre: I was on a gap year in the South of England with some friends. They were all very keen to go to the Greek Islands, but I managed to convince them to do a skiing trip to Andorra. After a week of skiing with a great instructor, I loved the sport but fell as much for the lifestyle associated with it. It was all downhill from there!

Gotravel: What makes Tiffindell so unique?
Pierre: Skiing in Africa has a special feel to it, almost like having a game resort in Austria! The guests who come up here experience their first snow or skiing experience. Seeing the excitement of someone’s first time, on snow and seeing them experience their first snowfall is always special.

Gotravel: How many months of the year is the resort operational?
Pierre: All year round, but for skiing it is open (snow dependant) from about the 20th of May till the 5th of Sept.

Gotravel: It's obvious skiing means snow, tell us how you make this possible in sunny South Africa?
Pierre: We do have natural snowfalls, but because of our modernized snowmaking system we are self sufficient in the snow department!! We are able to make snow and cover all our slopes within 3 days if the weather is cold enough.

The Tiffindell slope is also orientated away from the sun (south-facing). The man-made snow happens when water droplets seeded with ice nuclei is sprayed into the air during extremely cold periods. Through a snow gun, the atomizing cold water is compressed. The water droplets freeze as they fall through the atmosphere.

We continue to produce snow throughout the season to ensure a great skiing experience.

Tiffindell Ski Resort is also equipped with everything from a clothing shop, bar and entertainment area as well as its own medical staff.

Gotravel: In terms of the length and the gradient, to which international resort would you compare Tiffindell, if any?
Pierre: With regards to length we cannot yet compare to any of the larger more recognized resorts, however in a few seasons we will be skiing from the top of Ben McDhui, which will line us up with smaller resorts in Austria and Scotland. The gradient of our slopes is comparable to an average blue run in Europe and the upper slopes could be compared to a red run (slightly steeper and more demanding)

Gotravel: What is the best part of being a snow instructor?
Pierre: Coming to work doesn’t feel like actually coming to work. We have so much fun here…I mean where can you come to work and ski whole day. It’s all round fun.

Gotravel: What is the worst part of being a snow instructor?
Pierre: Waiting for winter to finally make its appearance.

Gotravel: How about any funny stories?
Pierre: One story that particular stands out is this fat guy who walked out into the snow dressed in a shorts and South African rugby jersey. Without any warning he took a dive into the snow. Considering that the snow wasn’t that deep, he scraped his chin. He was so shocked and stood up so fast saying, “Ag, nooit man!"

Gotravel: Have any famous faces graced the slopes of Tiffindell?
Pierre: I taught Nicole Fox to ski a few years back, but we consider everyone a celebrity up here!!

Tiffindell Ski Resort holds its own when it comes to ski resorts around the world, and thankfully you don't have to fly across a couple of continents to enjoy this activity.

It caters for 6 000 skiers a day, but booking is essential. Contact 0861 787 909.

 Interested in more things to do in winter? Check out our great specials.

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