Paragliding in South Africa

Paragliding in South Africa: Where to find your perfect patch of sky

There’s a delicious absurdity to paragliding — one moment you’re standing on a mountain, the next you’re a cloud’s slow-motion cousin, legs dangling in pure awe. South Africa is made for this kind of flight: enormous skies, generous thermals, and scenery that keeps changing from ocean to escarpment to wild, whispery forest.

Cape Town is the poster child — tandems launch right off Signal Hill or Lion’s Head and glide over the Atlantic, with Table Mountain posing dramatically in the background like a giant watching you play. It’s ridiculously scenic, wildly photogenic, and perfect for first-timers. You’re clipped in with an expert pilot, so your only real job is to breathe, grin, and maybe throw out a triumphant “Wheeee!” as you sail past hikers heading up to the summit of Lion’s Head.

For those who want to learn to fly solo, Bulwer and Underberg in the Southern Drakensberg are training havens. The landscape is all rolling hills, updrafts and easy landings — think of it as a soft launchpad for your new airborne addiction. Local schools here have an easy going, farm-style feel, where instruction is personal and the tea breaks come with mountain views.

The Garden Route’s Wilderness is coastal magic. Launch from a sand dune, hover over a golden ribbon of beach, and watch dolphins leap beneath you. Conditions are steady and smooth — ideal for beginners and tandems — but experienced pilots also chase longer ridge runs and sneaky thermals inland.

Durban offers tropical air and laid-back vibes, where you can paraglide in the morning and surf before lunch. Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) adds its own coastal flavour — breezy, beautiful, and brimming with friendly local pilots who know every secret updraft along the bay.

More advanced flyers can head inland for Drakensberg cross-country missions or test their skills on the long ridges of the Garden Route — South Africa’s topography is a playground for anyone chasing airtime.

What makes it special here? The sheer variety. You can paraglide over city skylines, farmland, cliffs, beaches, and forests — often all in the same week. And when your feet finally touch down, there’s hiking, wine tasting, whale watching or braai smoke waiting nearby.

So if you’ve ever dreamt of stepping off solid ground and discovering how big “free” really feels — come and borrow the South African sky. We’re happy to share a patch of our sunshine drenched heavens.