Hidden in the sandstone cliffs of Golden Gate Highlands National Park lie fossils from the age of the dinosaurs. The prehistoric bones are attracting visitors to the Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretive Centre, which is situated in the park and opened in June.
“Not one dinosaur, but 23, 24 or 30 of them crossed here,” says Paddy Gordon, the park manager. “You can imagine how much interest there was worldwide when it was discovered that so many different dinosaurs lived at the same time. This is like seeing them all in one field.”
The centre is built to show what these prehistoric giants must have looked like, and to connect science with local culture. The word “Kgodumodumo” comes from the name of a mythical Basotho creature — a monster said to have swallowed entire villages. “The Basotho connected the footprints and bones they saw to the sound of thunder,” says Gordon. “Scientists are happy to say that, in many ways, Kgodumodumo and the dinosaurs are the same thing.”
In a darkened entrance hall, life-size dinosaur models loom overhead, their long necks and huge legs built by Steven Saunders, a South African special-effects artist who once worked on The Lord of the Rings. Casts of fossils and a clutch of 30 eggs more than 200-million years old are displayed in glass cases. The Kgodumodumo centre blends scientific accuracy with Basotho storytelling, with films and African narratives that bring the ancient landscape to life.
For young visitors it is especially fascinating. “About 180 schools have visited us since we opened,” says JP Louw of South African National Parks. “About two-thirds of the visitors are schoolchildren. The centre shows the educational value of national parks, linking local culture with world-class science.”
The centre employs 20 people from surrounding communities. Maqaleng Kubheka is from Dihlabeng, the local municipality, and works as an interpretation officer at the park. “It shows that there is hope for my people back home,” he says of the job. A colleague, Thabo Mokoena, explains to visitors about fossils, eggs and the dinosaur tracks. He says: “The dinosaurs are teaching us.”
Traditional storytelling, song and dance are becoming part of the experience, and young people from the community are learning about palaeontology and the cultural history of the Basotho.
Morena Isaka Peete of the BaKoena clan of the Basotho royal house says: “We work with the national parks because the soil belongs to us, and we have a story to tell.”
The centre also illustrates the deep scientific value of South Africa’s dinosaur heritage. Dinosaurs familiar to the world, such as T-Rex and Triceratops, lived in the Jurassic era. The dinosaurs in the Free State lived during the late Triassic, which makes them ancestors of the Jurassic species. “This makes these fossils internationally significant,” says Gordon. “Researchers from all over the world come here to study the eggs, tracks and bones. The centre has put South Africa on the global palaeontology map.”
Visitors can see not only a representation of the ancient world but also the connection between dinosaurs and modern biodiversity. The Golden Gate park protects about 33,000ha of grassland biome, and the centre illustrates how these ecosystems supported life in the past and still do so now. Visitors learn about conservation, sustainable use of resources and the importance of protecting cultural and natural heritage.
“Seeing people, especially children, engage with the dinosaur models and our cultural stories is magical,” says Peete. “It gives them pride in their heritage and an understanding of how our ancestors interacted with the land.”
For Kubheka, Mokoena and the wider community, the centre is more than a tourist attraction. It is a classroom, a bridge between past and present, and a source of empowerment. “It’s about teaching people where they come from and showing them that their land, their history and their stories matter,” says Peete.
For Gordon, the fossils tell a story of survival and adaptation. “These dinosaurs returned year after year to lay eggs in this area. Floods came and went, plants regrew, and life carried on. That story of resilience is as relevant today as it was 200-million years ago.”
The Kgodumodumo centre is about 270km from Joburg, about a three-hour drive. Golden Gate Highlands National Park and nearby facilities offer accommodation.
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