The beacon is situated on top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa.

It is situated on the Eastern end on the plateau of the mountain, roughly 3km from the Cable Car Station.

The structure consists of man made rock packed in a triangle form, being 5 metres (16 ft) high.

It was painted in lamp black colour to make it visible, when light shown on it.

[2] In December 1844, the Astronomer Royal at the Cape, Thomas Maclear,[3] instructed his assistant William Mann to build a beacon in the form of a pile of rocks which would be used to confirm and possibly expand on the existing curvature of the Earth data of Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille.