The Wonder Cave, in Kromdraai, Gauteng, South Africa, is the third-largest cave chamber in the country, and is believed to be about 2.2 billion years old. The single chamber has an area of 46000 square metres, and is 125 metres long and 154 metres wide.It was discovered in the late nineteenth century by miners who dynamited and excavated limestone for the making of cement. Mining stopped during the Second Boer War, and never resumed.The cave has about 14 stalactite and stalagmite formations up to 15 metres high, 85% of which are still growing. The 60 metre deep cave is accessible to visitors by elevator, and is located within the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve, in the Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site.
"The Bothongo Wondercave is situated within the Bothongo Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve and uses the same entrance. It can be visited as an attraction on its own.The cave was discovered by Italian miners in 1898. They mined out approximately 15% from the formation and brought them to the surface. The formation consists of calcite which they placed in a self-built oven for 2 weeks at about 1100 degrees. This formed a powder which was taken by ox wagon to Pretoria & Johannesburg to make cement, toothpaste, use to extract gold, and the like. Mining was stopped in 1902 due to the outbreak of war and low productivity. This is the 3rd largest chamber in South Africa, the largest being Cango Caves and the second-largest Sudwala Caves."
