{"id":75,"date":"2026-09-06T14:24:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T14:24:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/?page_id=75"},"modified":"2026-09-08T08:07:04","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T08:07:04","slug":"mpumalanga","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/?page_id=75","title":{"rendered":"Mpumalanga"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Header” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ z_index=”10″ overflow-x=”hidden” custom_padding=”|||||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” background_color=”#FFFFFF” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/110122-sco-4810-786×523-2.jpg” z_index=”10″ width=”67%” max_width=”1743px” custom_margin=”|auto||28px||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” background_color=”#FFFFFF” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ text_font=”Lato||||||||” text_font_size=”22px” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_font=”PT Serif|700|||||||” header_font_size=”80px” header_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”|-71px||||” custom_padding=”|81px||||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”18px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_font_size_tablet=”60px” header_font_size_phone=”36px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Mpumalanga<\/strong><\/h2>\n
“The Cradle of Life Meets the Heart of the Wild.”

Mpumalanga is the only place on Earth where you can traverse a 3.5-billion-year-old mountain range containing the very first traces of planetary life in the morning, and track the iconic Big Five through world-class African wilderness by afternoon.<\/p>\n

Mpumalanga<\/b> <\/span><\/a>: <\/span><\/span>is one of the nine provinces of South Africa.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

The name means “<\/span>East<\/b>“, or literally “<\/span>The Place Where the Sun Rises<\/b>” in the Nguni languages.<\/span>
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[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_text=”Book your Volunteer Project” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”14px” button_bg_color=”#ff3314″ button_border_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” button_border_radius=”0px” button_letter_spacing=”2px” button_font=”Lato|900||on|||||” button_icon=”$||divi||400″ background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”40px||” custom_padding=”16px|30px|16px|30px|true|true” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” button_url=”info@exploresa.org.za” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sight-seeing-44.png” title_text=”0 4 6c2378043851a3d428c1e8cc09901c9 1d61e5 16f1e9 1ce1e5 1d5″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20160618_163224-scaled.jpg” transform_scale=”200%|200%” transform_scale_tablet=”100%|100%” transform_scale_phone=”” transform_scale_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate_tablet=”” transform_translate_phone=”” transform_translate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_rotate_tablet=”” transform_rotate_phone=”” transform_rotate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_skew_tablet=”” transform_skew_phone=”” transform_skew_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_origin=”10%|50%” transform_origin_tablet=”” transform_origin_phone=”” transform_origin_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_styles_last_edited=”on|desktop” width=”100%” max_width_tablet=”400px” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_margin=”||-80px” custom_margin_tablet=”0px|0vw||” custom_margin_last_edited=”off|tablet” custom_padding=”|0px||||” transform_styles_tablet=”” transform_styles_phone=”” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ text_font=”Lato||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_3_font=”Lato|900|||||||” header_3_font_size=”26px” header_3_line_height=”1.6em” background_color=”#ffffff” text_orientation=”justify” width=”211.7%” custom_margin=”|638px||-200px||” custom_margin_tablet=”|||0px” custom_margin_phone=”-200px||” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”50px|0px|50px|0px|true|true” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”30px|20px|30px|20px|true|true” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”15px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” header_3_font_size_tablet=”20px” header_3_font_size_phone=”16px” header_3_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_css_main_element=”position: relative;” box_shadow_style=”preset3″ text_text_align=”justify” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

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Welcome to Mpumalanga<\/strong><\/h1>\n

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The Place of the Rising Sun<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mpumalanga is a captivating province in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini (Swaziland) and Mozambique. Famous for its dramatic natural landscapes and deep historical roots, it serves as a premier destination for nature lovers and history enthusiasts alike.<\/span><\/h5>\n
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Major Attractions<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains & GeoTrail:<\/strong> A UNESCO World Heritage Site<\/strong> preserving the Barberton Greenstone Belt\u2014some of the oldest, best-preserved volcanic and sedimentary rocks on Earth, dating back 3.2 to 3.6 billion years. Visitors can drive a 38-kilometre scenic pass<\/strong> featuring 12 interactive lay-bys displaying ancient tidal deposits, volcanic “pillows”, and fossilized evidence of our planet’s earliest single-celled life.<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n
Blyde River Canyon
<\/strong>\u00a0The world\u2019s largest green canyon, celebrated for its subtropical foliage and striking rock formations like the Three Rondavels and Bourke’s Luck Potholes.<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n
Wildlife Safaris
<\/strong>\u00a0The gateway to the southern half of the world-famous Kruger National Park<\/strong>, offering unparalleled opportunities to view the Big Five.<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n
Scenic Landmarks
<\/strong>\u00a0Breathtaking vistas along the Escarpment, including the famous God\u2019s Window and numerous majestic waterfalls.<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n
History & Culture
<\/strong>\u00a0Home to the ancient Sudwala Caves and the preserved 1870s gold-rush mining town of Pilgrim\u2019s Rest.<\/span><\/h5>\n
Rich Precolonial History<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Mpumalanga boasts a legacy of human habitation stretching back 1.7 million years<\/strong>.<\/span><\/h5>\n
Ancient Mining
<\/strong>The Lion Cavern on the Eswatini border shows evidence of iron ore mining dating back 28,000 years, alongside thriving historic trades in gold, copper, and bronze.<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n
The Lydenburg Heads
<\/strong>\u00a0Discovered in the region and dating to around 500 CE, these artifacts represent Africa\u2019s oldest Iron Age artworks south of the equator.<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n
Thriving Societies
<\/strong>Between the 6th and 17th centuries, advanced agricultural and stone-walled agropastoral societies (like the Mbayi) flourished, eventually becoming major trading hubs connected to the Portuguese in Maputo Bay. Traditional Swazi kingdoms built deep roots here, acting as long-term guardians of the sacred Makhonjwa hills.<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n
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The Colonial Era & The Barberton Gold Rush<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The arrival of Dutch-speaking settlers during the Great Trek in 1845 transformed the region into the eastern Transvaal, quickly setting off an era of rapid expansion.<\/h4>\n

Resistance & Conflict<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Well-established local kingdoms, including the Pedi, Swazi, and Zulu, fiercely resisted colonial expansion, leading to major historical conflicts like the Sekhukhune and Anglo-Zulu wars.<\/span><\/h4>\n

The Roaring Birth of Barberton<\/p>\n

<\/strong>\u00a0In 1883, Auguste Roberts discovered a massive gold reef in Concession Creek. Declared a town in 1884 and named after Graham Barber, the settlement exploded into a wild economic powerhouse. It grew so fast it opened South Africa\u2019s <\/span>very first stock exchange<\/strong> in 1887, long before Johannesburg rose to prominence.<\/span><\/h4>\n

An Enduring Legacy<\/p>\n

<\/strong>\u00a0While the surface gold rush was short-lived, deep-level mines like <\/span>Sheba<\/strong> and <\/span>Fairview<\/strong> have been operating for over a century, yielding some of the world’s purest gold. In later history, the town’s local prison served a poignant political role during Apartheid, housing prominent female political prisoners before closing its high-security site in 1995.<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

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Plan Your Perfect Volunteering Experience with us<\/strong><\/h4>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#000000″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ width=”150px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ text_font=”Lato||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”1.8em” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”15px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

You Be the Difference.<\/strong> \ud83c\udf0d\u2728
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“Let us work together to make a difference\u2014you be the difference when you give your time.”<\/strong><\/div>\n

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We don’t believe in transactional tourism. We believe in connection<\/strong>. The moment you land, you are welcomed into our local community with open arms. Together, we work side-by-side with local guardians, conservationists, and community leaders to protect our natural heritage and uplift local lives.<\/div>\n

Real Impact:<\/strong> No effort is too small. Your time directly funds and fuels local development and conservation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Deep Connection:<\/strong> Break bread with the locals, learn our rich cultural history, and forge friendships that span oceans.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unforgettable Adventure:<\/strong> Spend your weekends exploring the world\u2019s largest green canyon (Blyde River) or tracking the Big Five.<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrive as a stranger. Leave as family.<\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n

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Mpumalanga “The Cradle of Life Meets the Heart of the Wild.”Mpumalanga is the only place on Earth where you can traverse a 3.5-billion-year-old mountain range containing the very first traces of planetary life in the morning, and track the iconic Big Five through world-class African wilderness by afternoon. Mpumalanga : is one of the nine […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-75","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/75","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=75"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/75\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":164,"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/75\/revisions\/164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=75"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}