This 43-meter high granite monument was inaugurated in 1949. It commemorates the pioneers, called the Voortrekkers, who moved into the interior of South Africa between 1834 and 1854 in search of freedom and self-government. It is the only Afrikaner monument declared to be a Grade 1 National Heritage Site after 1994.
The site combines elements of security, hospitality and exceptional views with unique architecture. The Monument was designed by architect Gerard Moerdijk. The Hall of Heroes contains 27 breathtaking marble frieze panels depicting the story of the Great Trek.
It is carved from Italian marble and is probably the world’s longest continuous marble frieze. The panels were made by four South African sculptors: Laurika Postma, Hennie Potgieter, Frikkie Kruger and Werner Kirchhoff.
In the cupola there is an opening (oculus) through which the sun shines on the Cenotaph every year on 16 December exactly at 12:00 on the words ‘Ons vir jou Suid-Afrika’