Google adds Cape wineries, Botswana to Street View

The wineries around Cape Town are among its biggest tourist draw cards. Now users can view more than 30 renowned estates from the comfort of their PCs and smartphones.

The new wineries available for viewing online include Boekenhoutskloof Winery, Groot Constantia, Hartenberg, Moreson, Rustenburg Wines and Warwick.

The internet giant says it will also be sending its Street View cars through Botswana in the coming weeks.

The cars will be taking 360 degree pictures of the country’s main cities — Francistown and Gabarone – as well as Chobe National Park, Moremi Game Reserve, Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans, Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Once the photos are taken Google will stitch the photos together, a process that can take several months.

“We are delighted to be updating Street View with more Cape winelands imagery and look forward to bringing our cutting-edge Street View technology to Botswana”, said Julie Taylor, Head of Communications and Public Affairs for Google, Sub-Saharan Africa. “In addition to Street View being useful to Internet users and businesses in Botswana, we also want to help Botswana showcase its extraordinary national parks and wildlife destinations to the rest of the world.”

South Africa was the first country on the continent to get Street View, just prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Google is opening up more and more spaces to Street View, including a number of famous parks around the world. Last year, it also opened up the inside of public spaces, including museums, shops and public buildings around the world to Street View.