Afriski, the only ski resort in sub-Saharan Africa, is drawing growing crowds to the slopes of Lesotho's Maluti Mountains (a landlocked highland kingdom entirely surrounded by South Africa), with a record of over 1,600 day and overnight visitors recorded on its busiest day in 2025. Situated at 3,200 metres above sea level, the resort benefits from Lesotho's extreme elevation and cold winters, when highland temperatures regularly drop to minus 8 degrees Celsius, supplemented by artificial snowmaking to keep runs open throughout the season. The resort employs 227 people — nearly all Lesotho nationals — and is a significant pillar of the country's tourism sector, which accounts for around 7 per cent of annual GDP, with roughly 70 per cent of visitors arriving from neighbouring South Africa.