A search on Table Mountain has ended in sad news. Wayne Barnard, a 46-year-old Cape Town tour guide, set out to hike alone on the mountain on Wednesday 16 September and was reported missing after he could no longer be contacted. According to reports by Netwerk24, his body was found the following day, Thursday 17 September, at around midday. His family has reportedly been informed.

The circumstances of his death are not yet known. Police spokesperson Capt. FC van Wyk told Netwerk24 that a postmortem examination will be carried out to establish the cause of death, and no further details have been confirmed at this stage. Search-and-rescue teams had combed the mountain for more than a day before the discovery.

Table Mountain is one of South Africa's most-loved natural landmarks — a flat-topped peak rising over a kilometre above Cape Town, laced with hiking trails that range from easy walks to demanding scrambles. It draws thousands of hikers every month, both locals and visitors, and many of them set out alone.

The mountain's popularity can mask how quickly conditions turn serious. Weather shifts fast on the plateau, the famous "tablecloth" cloud can swallow marked paths in minutes, and several routes involve steep, exposed rock. Emergency responders on the mountain routinely deal with hikers who were simply unprepared for a change in conditions or a wrong turn.

For travellers planning to hike Table Mountain — or South Africa's other peaks — a few habits make a real difference. Tell someone your intended route and when you expect to be back. Carry more water than you think you need, plus warm layers even on a sunny day, as summit temperatures can drop sharply. Stick to well-used trails, start early so you're not descending in the dark, and save the emergency numbers for Mountain Rescue and SAPS before you set off. Solo hiking is common, but pairing up is the safer call, especially on lesser-known routes.

Cape Town's tourism community will feel this loss keenly — guides like Barnard are the people who introduce visitors to the very trails that make the city a hiker's drawcard. Until the postmortem results are known, questions about what happened remain unanswered.

This report is based on original coverage by Getaway South Africa.