Mpumalanga Overview

The province of Mpumalanga lies in the east of South Africa, north of KwaZulu-Natal and bordering Swaziland and Mozambique. In the northeast, the land rises into mountain peaks and terminates in an immense escarpment. In some places, this escarpment plunges hundreds of metres down to the low-lying area known as the Lowveld.

Magnificent scenery, fauna and flora draws visitors to this region with the promise of magnificent mountain passes, valley’s, rivers, waterfalls and forests, which are characteristic of the Mpumalanga landscapes. 

 This is also Big Game Country, the setting for dozens of sanctuaries teeming with wildlife and birds. Visit the world’s most famous game reserve, climb the world's third-highest canyon, explore the world's oldest cave and spend the night in the world's best private game lodges.
 

The Greater Escarpment  is one of the prime tourism areas of Mpumalanga, stretching from the Northern Province border southward following the line of the Drakensberg escarpment to the Swaziland border in the south. Some of the most dramatic scenery in South Africa can be found in the area, through which numerous mountain routes pass. On the higher reaches of the escarpment are the trout fishing villages of Belfast, Dullstroom, Lydenburg, Macdadodorp and Waterval Boven. Lower down, on the eastern slopes are the historical mining villages of Pilgrim’s Rest and Ohrigstad and the forestry towns of Sabie and Graskop.

The Lowveld region of Mpumalanga offers tourists a unique African experience. Wildlife reserves have been created to conserve a large part of the eastern extremes of the province along the Mozambique border. These include the world famous Kruger National Park – offering unmatched wildlife and bird viewing. The areas not covered by the parks and reserves is primarily agricultural – it is here that many of the country’s tropical fruit and vegetables are grown. The southern lowveld and middleveld regions lies between the southern boundary of the Kruger National Park and the Swaziland border, is part of the area now termed the Maputo-Nelspruit development corridor. The history of the region is mirrored in the hills and valleys of the region, where San (Bushmen) rock engravings, archaeological ruins, wagon trails and early gold diggings are accessible to the visitor for exploration. Numerous pursuits across the wide spectrum of adventure tourism are enjoyed in this region, making it a truly unique tourism and holiday destination.

The entire Mpumalanga area offers exceptional opportunities for bird-watching, hiking, horse-riding and fishing. Streams once panned for gold have become the haunts of eager anglers and lazy trout. Steeped in the history of pioneers, hunters and fortune seekers, fascinating gold rush towns abound. Mpumalanga offers something for everyone.