The Mapungubwe National Park was established in 2004 after certain areas were declared World Heritage sites in 2003. Originally Mapungubwe was home to a society, far more advanced than African tribes were previously thought to be. They society was the most complex in South Africa, they had developed tools, established trade with China and India and were the largest kingdom in the African sub-continent. The kingdom was centered on Mapungubwe Hill, a sandstone rock formation 30m high and 300m wide, with sheer vertical cliffs all around, except for two narrow pathways to the top.
It is thought that the leader of the kingdom lived on top of the Mapungubwe Hill and it is here that the wealth of cultural artifacts was originally discovered in 1932. The discovery was, however, kept a secret at the time, due to the political nature of South Africa, and only after the elections in 1994 was it announced to the public. The three major cultural relics that were discovered were a beautiful golden rhinoceros, a gold scepter and bowl. The significance of these discoveries is that it shows how developed the tribes metalworking skills were and also giving support to the belief that they had contact with the people of Asia, the golden rhino has only one horn, like those found in Asia. This just goes to show that South Africa’s cultural heritage is far richer and extends further back than people previously thought.
The Mapungubwe Hill is only a small part of the Mapungubwe National Park. There is a whole other world to be discovered, that of the animal kingdom. There are an abundance of forests and trees, including some tree top tours and the famous Baobab trees. There are plenty of animals roaming the park, elephants, giraffes, rhino, as well as the usual mass of buck. The Park also home to Africa’s predators, like the lion, leopard and hyenas, much harder to find but incredibly satisfying if you manage to spot a few.
Mapungubwe National Park also has a large variety of places to stay, scattered throughout the Park. The Leokwe Camp is the main camp in the Park, but others that are well worth a visit are, the Limpopo Forest Tented Camp, the Thugulu Lodge, the Vhembe Wilderness Camp and the Mazhou Camping Site, each one has something unique to offer guests.
