One of the core zones in the biosphere, the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site COHWHS is legislated under the National Environmental Management Protected Areas Act, 2003 ( NEMPAA) and the International World Heritage Convention. It is a paleoanthropological site about 50 km northwest of Johannesburg, in the Gauteng AND North West Province. Declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1999, the site currently occupies 47,000 hectares and contains a complex of limestone caves, as well as expansive wilderness and pristine grasslands.
The land in the COH is privately owned, and the appointed Management Authority, a Gauteng Government structure, provides overarching laison and guideance to ensure its protection.