Clips of people leaping off Table Mountain with parachutes have been doing the rounds on social media, and South African National Parks (SANParks) has responded with a blunt message: don't. BASE jumping and wingsuit flying are strictly prohibited anywhere inside Table Mountain National Park, and the park authority is asking the public to stop — and to report anyone who doesn't.

The renewed caution, reported by Smile FM and covered by Getaway South Africa, follows several videos circulating in recent days showing jumps from the iconic peak that looms over Cape Town. It also comes months after tragedy: on 5 January, a BASE jumper died after a fall at Platteklip Gorge, the steep ravine that cuts up the mountain's front face and one of the most popular hiking routes to the summit plateau.

SANParks has been firm on the legal position since that fatality. Table Mountain National Park is protected under the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, and it also forms part of the Cape Floral Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Under that framework, the park authority treats BASE jumping as illegal and unregulated, and says any activity posing a risk to human life or the environment has no place in the protected area.

For visitors, the practical takeaway is straightforward. That Instagram-friendly stunt you might see online isn't an extreme sport with a permit process — it's a prohibited activity in a national park, and jumpers risk both legal consequences and, as January showed, their lives. Table Mountain's weather is notoriously fickle, with the famous "tablecloth" cloud and sudden wind shifts catching out even experienced climbers and paragliders operating within sanctioned channels.

If you're in the park and see someone preparing to jump, SANParks wants to hear about it. The emergency number for Table Mountain National Park is 086 110 6417 — worth saving if you're planning a day on the mountain, whether that's the cableway, a hike up Platteklip Gorge itself, or a walk along the upper plateau paths.

None of this dims the mountain's appeal for ordinary travellers. The cable car to the summit, the trails around Lions Head and Signal Hill, and the viewpoints over the Atlantic remain among the best urban outdoor experiences anywhere. Just enjoy the edges of the plateau with your feet on the ground.

Story via Getaway South Africa.