If you have seen both Maloti-Drakensberg Park and uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park on maps, websites or signs, you may have wondered whether one name has replaced the other. Both have a place. The difference is the area being described.
Maloti-Drakensberg Park is the transboundary UNESCO World Heritage Site shared by South Africa and Lesotho. uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park is its South African component; Sehlabathebe National Park is its Lesotho component. Explaining that relationship makes the names much more useful to visitors than simply treating one as correct and the other as obsolete.
The names at a glance
Mountain names, protected areas and the World Heritage designation
| Name | What it describes |
|---|
| Drakensberg and Maloti |
Names used for the mountains and wider mountain regions. A regional name alone does not establish whether a place falls inside the World Heritage property. |
|---|
| uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park |
The South African component of the shared World Heritage Site. |
|---|
| Sehlabathebe National Park |
The Lesotho component of the shared World Heritage Site. |
|---|
| Maloti-Drakensberg Park |
The complete UNESCO property, bringing those two national components together. |
|---|
| Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area |
A wider conservation and cooperation initiative with a different geographical scope from the UNESCO property. |
|---|
UNESCO's official property entry identifies the two national components. For a visitor-facing description of the South African park, a useful wording is: uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, the South African component of the Maloti-Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site.
How the World Heritage name developed
The present name reflects the development of a shared designation across an international border. It helps to keep the World Heritage decisions separate from the history of wider conservation cooperation.
- 2000 — World Heritage inscription. UNESCO inscribed South Africa's uKhahlamba/Drakensberg Park for its cultural and natural significance. This was the original inscription, before Sehlabathebe was included. See decision 24 COM X.B.1.
- 2001 — a separate cooperation milestone. South Africa and Lesotho signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the wider Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area. This date should not be presented as the original UNESCO inscription or the later World Heritage name change. See the South African environment department's account.
- 2013 — extension into Lesotho. The World Heritage Committee approved the inclusion of Sehlabathebe National Park and the name Maloti-Drakensberg Park for the extended property. See decision 37 COM 8B.18.
- 2024 — a boundary update. UNESCO approved a minor boundary modification. This was a later boundary decision, rather than another renaming. For boundary questions, consult the 2024 decision and the maps in UNESCO's official records.
Why is it a World Heritage Site?
This is a mixed World Heritage Site: its significance includes both culture and nature. The original inscription recognised the exceptional mountain scenery and habitats, alongside the outstanding San rock-art heritage. The current listing uses cultural criteria (i) and (iii), and natural criteria (vii) and (x).
The cliffs, sandstone formations, grasslands and river valleys provide more than a striking backdrop for a hike. They form habitats supporting plants and animals with restricted distributions, including threatened species. The rock paintings add a different dimension to the landscape: they are evidence of San artistic traditions, beliefs and relationships with the world around them.
Read UNESCO's original inscription decision and current statement of significance for the reasons behind the designation. When planning a rock-art visit, ask the relevant reserve about authorised access and guided visits. Leave paintings and shelter surfaces undisturbed, and avoid sharing precise locations of vulnerable sites.
The park, the wider region and the conservation area
These names overlap geographically, which makes them easy to confuse. A World Heritage property has an inscribed boundary. A mountain region is a broader geographical description. A transfrontier conservation initiative can connect protected areas, surrounding landscapes and communities through cooperation without making every participating area part of the UNESCO property.
The wider programme addresses conservation and development together. SANParks describes the historical 2003–2007 Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation and Development Project as supporting cooperation, biodiversity protection and sustainable livelihoods. Those aims help explain the broader landscape approach, but that project history is separate from the World Heritage inscription and extension.
For the UNESCO property's extent, use UNESCO's documents and maps. The collection includes maps for the 2013 extension and the approved 2024 minor boundary modification. These are designation maps; use suitable hiking maps and current reserve information for route planning. Our northern, central and southern Drakensberg groupings help visitors browse destinations and do not define the World Heritage boundary.
What does this mean for hikers?
Choose your actual destination first, then identify the reserve, land manager and country involved. A reference to the Maloti-Drakensberg Park tells you about the shared heritage designation; it does not tell you which office handles your particular booking or what conditions you will encounter on a trail.
For trips in the South African component, confirm access, permits, overnight arrangements and local conditions with the relevant Ezemvelo reserve. For Sehlabathebe, check arrangements with the Lesotho park authorities. Confirm access separately for community areas or other land outside those parks.
If your itinerary crosses between South Africa and Lesotho, check the applicable immigration requirements and authorised crossing arrangements before departure. A shared World Heritage designation does not replace travel documents or border procedures. Consult South Africa's Border Management Authority and the relevant Lesotho authorities for requirements applying to your nationality and itinerary, and confirm the proposed route with the responsible authorities.
Common questions
Is uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park an incorrect name?
No. It remains a valid name for the South African component. When discussing the complete transboundary World Heritage Site, use Maloti-Drakensberg Park.
Why might an Ezemvelo page use the South African name?
The page may be describing the South African park that Ezemvelo manages. The name on its own does not prove an error. The clearest wording also explains the relationship to the shared World Heritage Site.
Did the 2013 decision include all of Lesotho?
No. The extension added Sehlabathebe National Park. It did not designate the whole country or all of the Maloti Mountains as this World Heritage property.
Is every place described as “Drakensberg” inside the site?
No. Check the official property maps rather than assuming that a mountain, lodge, trail or regional label establishes inclusion.
Where can I find the permanent explanation on this website?
Visit our History and Culture | World Heritage Site page and Conservation page. Together with this guide, they explain the names, the shared heritage and the distinction between the property and its wider mountain setting.
⚠️ Mountain Safety Notice
Weather conditions in the Drakensberg escarpment can change within minutes. Always register your group in the official Ezemvelo Mountain Rescue Register before starting any overnight trail, carry gear for extreme cold/rain, and ensure you have verified offline GPS tracks.
Download Rescue Form (PDF) 
