Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) will commence with the restoration of the Rhodes Memorial Tea Room at the base of Devil’s Peak.

According to TMNP Park Manager, Megan Taplin, the announcement follows a rigorous process for appointing a suitable architectural service provider with a deep knowledge of heritage building structures.

"This establishment, which forms an integral part of the TMNP, will receive a new lease of life following the appointment of Gabriel Fagan Architects.”

The company's scope of work includes drawing plans for the tearoom and associated ablutions and consulting with Heritage Western Cape for compliance measures.

Taplin said it was important to consider the extent of damage caused by a fire in April 2021 and the work that needed to be done. "This necessitates additional funding, which we have fortunately secured from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, along with the insurance funding, which was insufficient to cater for all the work needed."

She said once the restoration work was complete, a Request for Proposals (RFP) would be advertised for an operator for the tearoom and associated activities. "This RFP will be issued in line with the Public-Private Partnership Toolkit for Tourism, and in compliance with the National Treasury Regulations in terms of the Public Finance Management Act, 1999.”

South African National Parks expressed gratitude to the public for their patience during this time and to the Friends of Rhodes Memorial for their continuous contribution to the area. "We will continue to keep the public and interested parties informed of new developments and when the construction of the tearoom begins," concluded Taplin.

The Rhodes Memorial Tea Room provides views towards Table Bay and False Bay and the Hottentots Holland mountains in the distance.