Phalaborwa Route
Phalaborwa, meaning “better than the South”, owes its existence to the Ba-Phalaborwa people that started mining copper and iron ore deposits in the area hundreds of years ago. Part of their ancient workings has been traced to two koppies (“hills”) just outside of Phalaborwa, Sealene and Kgopolwe, which have been declared national monuments. There is archaeological evidence that the Phalaborwa region was occupied by metalworking communities during at least two periods in the last 1 200 years. Both phases of occupation (the 9th to 13th and 17th to 20th centuries) coincided with trade along the East Coast of Africa. There are approximately 53 metal working sites dotted around the Phalaborwa region.
Metalworking Sites in Phalaborwa
The majority of the sites in Phalaborwa are associated with the syenite hills that stud the area. The settlement style of the metalworkers indicates a geographical separation of primary (ore smelting) and secondary (iron forging and copper smelting and forging) metalworking activities. The metalworkers and their families lived on terraces located on the hill slopes and level ground. Iron and copper smelting furnaces were located far from the living quarters. Iron forge furnaces, on which iron bloom was forged, were built close to where people lived. This pattern is consistent with an ideology in which smelting was practised with ritual and associated with many taboos. Smelting was done away from villages so that menopausal women could not attend or interfere with these activities. Medicinal holes in iron smelting furnaces and certain iron forge furnaces served as receptacles for “medicine” such as human hand bones. Other possible “medicines” included remains from aardvark, lions and neonatal sheep. Some of these medicines were used to appease the forefathers to ensure a successful smelt.
Geographical separation of smelters’ working areas from residential areas may indicate that smelters were “married” to their furnaces during smelting periods and consequently abstained from sexual intercourse with women during times of iron and coppers smelting. The metalworking process was also regarded as a metaphor for human sexual intercourse, fertility and fecundity. Metalworking eventually became entrenched in the political, social, religious and other aspects of the lives of metalworkers.
The Masorini heritage site close to the Phalaborwa gate was also once inhabited by a group of the Ba-Phalaborwa people. These people made a living by manufacturing and selling iron artefacts during the Iron Age. The site has old shafts and stopes from which ore was extracted in the early days. Local legend has it that the iron was beaten into assegai heads and primitive hoes and used as a form of currency among the Ba-Phalaborwa tribes.
International interest in the 1950s resulted in the establishment of large-scale mining operations in the area. The town itself was established in 1957 after rich phosphate-bearing ore was discovered on the hill known as Loole Kop. Loole Kop has vanished under the onslaught of man and machine. All that remains is an open cast mine. The mine has become a unique tourist attraction as the big hole that was left behind has a diameter of just less than two kilometres. A visit to the view point and the mine museum is a must. The wealth of minerals in the area is attributed to a series of volcanic eruptions 2 000-million years ago. The cone of the eruption has long since vanished but the pipe, an astonishing geological feature measuring 19 square kilometres, is still intact. The pipe is filled to an unknown depth with minerals such as phosphates, copper irconium, vermiculite, mica and gold.
Although much has happened since, the original Ba-Phalaborwa people still live in the Greater Phalaborwa area. Many of their traditions and original way of life are still intact. Cultural tours are becoming increasingly popular and a number of tour operators in the area offer visitors a unique glimpse of different cultures including:
- traditional reading by sangomas
- the opportunity to taste Mopani worms and drink traditional Maroela beer
- traditional tribal dance and music performances.
Phalaborwa is the only town in South Africa bordering the Kruger National Game Park that also has a gate into the park.
The Phalaborwa Gate and Kruger National Park
The Phalaborwa Gate opened in June 1961 and currently receives an average of 180 000 visitors (approximately 55 000 vehicles) per annum. The Kruger National Park was proclaimed in 1926 to protect the wildlife of the Lowveld and now covers an area of about 20 000 kilometres squared. It is unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies.
The Park is home to an impressive 336 tree species, 49 fish species, 34 amphibian species, 114 reptile species, 507 bird species and 147 mammal species.
Activities such as guided bushwalks, night and day game drives, 4X4 overland trails and bush braais (“BBQs”) are offered. Facilities include the Skukuza 9-hole golf course, conference facilities, picnic facilities, swimming pools, restaurants and various forms of accommodation including camping, sleepover hides, cottages, huts and guest houses.
With the establishment of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, two border posts linking the Kruger National Park to Mozambique are in the process of being developed. The first is the Pafuri Border Post just south of Crooks Corner. The second is at Giriyondo in the northern section between Letaba and Mopani Camps. Culturally there is ample evidence of Middle Stone Age humans in the area. There is also evidence of Early Stone Age (some 500 000 to 100 000 years ago) humans or Homo erectus in the area. There are also findings of San people in the form of about 80 rock art sites and Iron Age people from recent history to about 20 000 years ago. About 300 archaeological Iron Age sites have also been discovered, dating from recent history to 450 A.D.
Phalaborwa is known as the town with two summers, with average temperatures of 23°C throughout the year. Tourism and wildlife play a dominant role in the life of this town. Tourists are never more than half an hour’s drive away from destinations such as game farms and lodges, game sanctuaries and nature reserves. The famous Phalaborwa Hans Merensky Golfing Estate (link to participant entry) is about one kilometre from the centre of town. The golf course is one of few in the world where wild animals roam the fairways. The Gateway Airport in Phalaborwa receives daily scheduled flights from Johannesburg to Phalaborwa.
Phalaborwa also falls within the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve. Kruger to Canyons (K2C) was registered as a biosphere reserve in 2001 and became the 411th biosphere reserve site to be registered in 94 countries worldwide. The K2C Biosphere Programme is an extensive community-driven initiative situated in the east of the country. It bridges the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. It is also at the interface of the Eastern Transvaal Drakensberg Escarpment and the Central Lowveld.
The Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve
The Kruger to Canyons Biosphere is an area designated by the United Nations Education and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere").
Biospheres are regions of outstanding ecological importance seeking a sustainable balance between the needs of mankind and nature. The Kruger to Canyons Biosphere faces South Africa's defining millennium issues: economic development, equitable governance, and empowerment.
The natural environment introduces conservation imperatives into the transformation of the country being undertaken by the government. A new philosophy of African Renaissance has emerged to underpin the imperatives for transformation across the continent. The empowerment of African people is creating new opportunities for cooperation and conservation in South Africa. The Biosphere is an expression of these cultural and political changes. The Transfrontier Park initiatives and recent recognition of the Greater Mapungubwe Cultural Complex will offer the chance to re-integrate cultures that have been historically disrupted and separated by European colonisation.
The Kruger to Canyons Biosphere contains three major biomes (distinctive biogeographic regions): dry savannah woodlands, Afromontane forest and Afromontane grassland.
As the altitude (and consequently rainfall) increases from east to west, a great biodiversity can be witnessed progressing from scrub and savannah upwards into South Africa’s unique fynbos floral system, rainforests, and climax grasslands on the top of the escarpment, where water is more abundant.
The reserve’s website (www.kruger2canyons.com) offers a Lowveld resources section which includes a calendar of local events, books and recommended websites on the Lowveld or Kruger. It also contains:
- a comprehensive bibliography and glossary relating to the site's materials
- news relating to the Kruger region
- a discussion board
- a Kruger Region events calendar which people can add to
Lulekani is a suburb and former township of Phalaborwa. The area is one of the poorest regions of South Africa and despite the altered political circumstances the discrepancy between poor and wealthy people has not changed. The approximately 50 000 inhabitants of Lulekani are solely dependent on work in the surrounding mines and farms. The mines will probably close down within the next twenty years, leaving many of these people unemployed.
Young people are concerned by the high unemployment rate. The children, youth and single parents, mostly women, suffer from insufficient infrastructure and social disadvantages. The exact number of young people who have to earn their living on the streets is not known. Against this background it is astonishing to see people persevere to shape their destinies. This accounts for their favourable attitude to tourism. There are some interesting development projects in Lulekani that address social issues and are well worth a visit.
Nearby routes
Hlanganani Route
The Hlanganani route is situated in the northernmost part of South Africa, in Limpopo (previously known as Northern Province), on the north-west border of one of Africa’s finest parks, the Kruger National Park.
Kamoka Route
The region in which this route is located is known as the Cultural Heartland, which is one of the seven registered tourism regions of Mpumalanga province. The general route area is located about 100km north-east of Pretoria, South Africa’s capital city situated in Gauteng, which is the smallest but richest province in the country.
Kruger to Canyons Route
Located in the Kruger to Canyon Biosphere, this route includes the towns of Graskop, Hoedspruit and Phalaborwa. It aims to contribute to the conservation of the biosphere.
Land of Legend Route
The Land of Legend Route, true to its name, offers a platform to explore sacred lands, rippling rivers and awe-inspiring nature sites. Based in Thohoyandou, it is within close range of the Kruger National Park, but deserves more than a stop-over.
Ribolla Open Africa Route
The route, named after the uniquely shaped mountain in the Makhado District, showcases the artistic talents of many of its inhabitants, as well as dancers, storytellers, gardeners and singers.
Rixile Culture to Kruger Route
The route, situated in the Limpopo province of South Africa, meanders between the small town of Giyani and Phalaborwa, the only town with a gate into the Kruger National Park.
Route of Lost Kingdoms
Follow a trail of myths and legends from the ancient stone wall site of Thulamela to the Mapungubwe World Heritage site in Limpopo Province.
Seraki Blouberg Route
This route lies at the foothills of the Blouberg Mountain in Limpopo and offers an experience that can only be found in Africa. A range of projects with authentic arts and crafts, as well as accommodation in a pristine setting can be found. Vistors can go on adventurous hikes, see cultural and natural heritage and interact with 'real' people.
Comments and Reviews
Add a comment
See all comments about this route