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The wooden Confluence Viewing Deck at Mapungubwe National Park overlooks the floodplains of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers, where three countries meet. Here South Africa’s northern border (in Limpopo Province) touches Botswana and Zimbabwe. Several look-out platforms along the treetop boardwalk, showcase the area’s spectacular scenery. In the distance, ancient sandstone formations jut out from savannah grasslands and in the foreground luscious riverine forests outline the water’s edge.
Bring your binoculars and zoom lens as you’re likely to see an abundance of wildlife, including elephants, white rhinos, lions, leopards, hyenas and giraffes in this ‘Big Four’ national park.
Along the riverside and amidst the park’s craggy landscape keep an eye out for some 400 bird species, from Pel’s Fishing Owls and Verreaux’s Eagles to White-fronted Bee-eaters and Grey-headed Parrots. Keen birdwatchers should visit the Maloutswa bird hide for a chance to see Kori Bustards, Chestnut-backed Sparrowlarks, Wattled Starlings and Ground Hornbills. After dusk, sightings of leopards and warthogs have been reported there too.
Guided tours of ‘Big Four’ territory where three countries meet
Much like at any other national park in South Africa, Mapungubwe’s passionate guides and skilled trackers offer three-hour guided morning walks, as well as sunrise and sunset game drives, for an interactive experience of the protected area’s flora and fauna. Because the guides and trackers come from surrounding communities, they know the area and its history well, and are motivated to help maintain its natural resources and biodiversity.
What sets Mapungubwe apart, however, is the region’s rich cultural heritage. TThe Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The park offers heritage tours of the graveyard atop Mapungubwe Hill, where a guide tells the history of the class-based kingdom of the Mapungubwe people. It’s highly recommended to combine this guided tour with a visit to the adjoining museum.
Africa’s largest ‘lost’ kingdom
In the 13th century, Mapungubwe was AAfrica’s largest kingdom, numbering some 9 000 people, and the most important inland settlement in the African subcontinent. It traded with Eastern cultures, such as Arabia, China and India as can be seen by Chinese Porcelain and Persian glass beads that were excavated on site. The settlement was abandoned in the 14th century due to climatic change that impacted the seasonal flooding of the Limpopo River.
The ruins of this ancient civilisation found around Mapungubwe Hill include class-structured settlements, graves, palaces and two capital sites. The 23 graves atop Mapungubwe Hill that were excavated in 1932 revealed cultural treasures made of gold – the most famous of which is a rhinoceros, a sceptre and a bowl. The Mapungubwe Museum and Interpretation Centre houses these archaeological artefacts, alongside stone tools (from the Earlier, Middle, and Later Stone Age) and metal artefacts also found in the area. All of which together narrate Mapungubwe’s incredible history.
The Mapungubwe Museum and Interpretation Centre was built using a stone-walling technique that was prevalent in the area, with environmentally sensitive materials. It won the World Architectural Building of the Year Award in 2009, out-performing competitors from New York, Singapore and China.
Prioritising a Responsible Tourism Strategy
Mapungubwe National Park is managed according to a Responsible Tourism Strategy and Environmental Management Programme in line with SANParks’ conservation values. This approach prioritises the park’s culture- and nature-based activities; uses local resources sustainably; recycles, minimises waste and reduces overconsumption; while mitigating environmental degradation. While the park’s Climate Change Programme preserving its natural ecosystem, conserving its biodiversity, and takes a responsible approach to climate change.
At the same time, the Responsible Tourism Strategy educates and upskills staff in responsible tourism principles, promotes equitable employment, while contributing to the social and economic development of neighbouring communities. Mapungubwe National Park's commitment to responsible tourism shows that conservation and community development go hand-in-hand for the benefit of locals and tourists alike.
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