ZebraTravel.co.za
Your one stop online shop for travelling South Africa

Overview:

Limpopo Province, also known as the Great North, got its name from the Limpopo River that runs through the north of the province.  Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana share borders with Limpopo which makes it the perfect springboard into exploring other African countries. 

Limpopo is a land of virtually untouched beauty, varying landscapes, mysticism, rich wildlife and history.  The northern part of the Kruger National Park is included where you can see an abundance of animal life including herds of buffalo, elephants and sable to name but a few.  Visit trout fishing locations, Makapansgat where you can explore Stone Age and Iron Age ruins and relics, mineral springs and indigenous ancient forests.

Climate:

Since winters in the area are moderate and temperatures in summer warm, it has become a popular winter vacation area. The summer temperature varies from Mussina in the north - 30,4°C average - to Louis Trichardt with a summer average of 24,6°C. In Mussina winter temperature averages 25°C, whilst Louis Trichardt experiences an average of 20°C

'© South African Tourism

Top Destinations:

Polokwane

Polokwane, formerly known as Pietersburg is the commercial, agricultural and cultural centre of the region.  The town was founded in 1884 by Andries Pretorious and his Voortrekkers.  There are a number of cultural activities including visiting the Bakone Malapa Northern Sotho Open-Air Museum which is a "living museum", impressively demonstrating the history and culture of the Sotho people in the north and also the Eersteling Monuments which is the site of the country's first gold crushing site and its first gold power plant are marked by monuments.

The countryside surrounding Polokwane has prosperous cattle ranches and numerous agricultural farms.  The city has an excellent location, it lies halfway between Gauteng and Zimbabwe and is conveniently located near to Botswana, Mozambique and Swaziland.  Polokwane is an ideal getaway destination with excellent accommodation and is within convenient distance from the Kruger National Park and Magoesbaskloof.

Waterberg

The Waterberg region lies to the south west of the Limpopo province and is characterized by beautiful vistas, clear streams, hot water springs and rolling bushveld hills.  A large part of this region has been designated a conservation area to preserve the indigenous wildlife including the “Big 5”, birdlife, fauna and flora.  There are a number of game and nature reserves where you can relax and be surrounded by untamed African nature.

The Waterberg’s unspoilt natural beauty makes it an ideal off the beaten track destination.  Activities include hiking, game viewing, trout fishing, bird watching (over 300 bird species) and 4x4 and bike trails.

Soutpansberg

The Soutpansberg is a range of mountains in the north of the Limpopo province and borders with Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It is named for the salt pan located at its western end.  The Soutpansberg region boasts a number of tree, plant and animal species that are endemic to the area.  There are a number of forest trails that can be taken to explore the region and many heritage sites that are accessible to visitors including Mapungubwe, an ancient city dating back to the 11th century.  The area mainly consists of vast open plains of bushveld punctuated by baobab trees.  Game farming is very big in the region and there are a number of game lodges and a variety of accommodation from tents to luxury lodges to choose from.

Main Attractions:

Kruger National Park

The Kruger National Park is the largest game reserve in South Africa and has some of the best game viewing and birding in Africa. It is roughly the same size as Israel or Wales, and covers some 20,000 square kilometres.  The park lies across the provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo in the north of the country, just south of Zimbabwe and west of Mozambique. It now forms part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park – a peace park that links Kruger with game parks in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.  The area the park covers is so large that there are number of diverse eco-systems and terrains you will find.  The portion that lies in Limpopo is typical lowveld terrain with sweet grasses and abundant browsing trees characterising the landscape.  There is an abundance of animals in this region including lions, giraffe, buffalo and elephant.

Mapungubwe National Park (World Heritage Site)

Mapungubwe is an area to the north of the province bordering Botswana and Zimbabwe, where the Limpopo and Shashe rivers converge.  Mapungubwe is an important cultural and historical site as it is here where one of the first settlements occurred in South Africa after the bushmen and lasted from around 1050 AD to 1270 AD.  It is thought that the inhabitants of this wealthy kingdom moved north into Zimbabwe after climate changes resulted in inability to grow crops.  Mapungubwe was the centre of the powerful kingdom whose wealthy inhabitants traded ivory and gold with porcelain, glassware and textiles from traders from the east (India, Indonesia and China).  Burial sites and a palace were discovered in the 1930’s and these can be visited today.

Sandstone formations, a unique riverine forest, mopane woodlands and baobab trees form the backdrop of this place of interest and there is an abundance of wildlife in the area including giraffe, leopard, rhino and gemsbok.

Modjadji Cycad Nature Reserve

The largest concentration of a single cycad species in the world is found here.  The cycads here form a dense forest on the side of a steep hill and are still flourishing as the local community protects it.  The species of cycad found here can grow very large and can bear cones of up to 34 kg.  There is a walk that can be done through the forest from the cycad forest on the side of the steep hill to the grasslands below.

On the periphery of the reserve you will find the Modjadji tribe which is a matriarchal society where only women are allowed in the village.  There have been 5 Modjadji, or rain queens, and they have been protecting the area for generations.

Makapansgat Valley

Makapansgat is an archaeological location within the Makapansgat Valley North East of Potgietersrus.  This valley with its numerous caves not only forms an integral part of the heritage of South Africa but also the rest of the world as it directly links in with the history at the Cradle of Man.  There are a series of fossil sites, the oldest and best known is the Makapansgat limeworks, with Australopithecus-bearing deposits dating to around 3 million years ago.