Thaba ‘Nchu Airport, opened in 1988, was built at the height of (the former) Bophuthatswana’s drive to project economic independence.
Marketed as a gateway for international and domestic travellers, the airport briefly transformed the small Free State town into a bustling tourism hub.
Thaba ‘Nchu, home to about 56 000 people, was formally established in 1873 with the arrival of the Barolong under Chief Moroka II.
The town was later absorbed into the Bophuthatswana Bantustan under the apartheid regime.
After 1994, it was reintegrated into the Free State and eventually merged into the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality alongside Bloemfontein and Botshabelo.
Once an economic hub
At the airport’s peak, visitors flew directly from OR Tambo (formally Jan Smuts) International Airport to Thaba ‘Nchu, heading straight for nearby attractions like the Naledi Sun Hotel and Casino.
Hundreds of jobs followed, and the town enjoyed a short-lived economic boom.
“There used to be so many tourists who would come here,” Local resident Liboko Mabede, who worked in hospitality during Thaba ‘Nchu’s glory years, told Newsday.
“Those days are long gone. Now we operate like a ghost town.”
An airport in ruins
Roads leading to the once-bustling airport are now riddled with potholes. Vegetation has swallowed signage, and the terminal itself has been stripped almost bare.
he Windows and roofing are gone, concrete is cracked, and trees grow where passengers once queued. The abandoned grounds have even been linked to criminal activity.
Critics point to years of poor leadership, mismanagement and neglect as key reasons for the airport’s collapse.
The closure of tourism facilities removed a critical source of employment in a town already struggling with high joblessness.
“For me, it feels like a concerted effort to destroy anything that came pre-1994,” added DA councillor Raynie Klaasen.
“Even if there were some good things, like the airport, they want it gone,” said Klaasen.
Still, there are signs of hope. In May 2024, Mangaung mayor Gregory Nthatisi said plans were being explored to revive the airport. This would include the possible development of a solar energy project on the site.
