Situated in the Soutpansberg District to the south-east of Louis Trichardt is Valdezia Mission Station, an establishment that has come to represent a portion of South Africa's Heritage. Valdezia Mission Station in Limpopo has certainly done much to benefit the local population and uplift the community, while providing insight into the past.

The Mission Station was established in 1875 by Ernst Creux and Henri Bertroud, both of them theological students. In 1874 they received permission to buy Klipfontein farm from Mr. Scot J. Watt and this is where they built the mission station. Valdezia Mission Station, its gardens and everyday functioning was cared for by Alexis Thomas, a missionary and artisan. The entire Mission Station area included Old Valdezia School, Elim Mission Church, Elim Hospital, Lemana College, Elim Mill, the dam and other historical structures.

 

Large numbers of Vatsonga people began moving into the area from the country of Mozambique. This great migration is chiefly attributed to Mfecane-Difaqane upheavals directed from Zululand. Additionally there was an ongoing power struggle amongst Vatsonga chief Soshangane own sons. The Swiss Mission went on to convert several of the Vatsonga people to Christianity. Shiso Zwele and his family were the first to convert. The congregation began increasing and so a church was built. Soon the Mission Station was a developmental hub in the area. The mission house was constructed in 1884 and the church two years later in 1886.

It was in 1888 that Valdezia primary school was set-up. Several well-recognized members of South African society were taught at the school, such as T. Mandlate (minister at a Maputo church), D. Marivate (became a school teacher, composer and poet), C. Marivate (now a parliamentarian) and Dr Manghezi (today at Development Bank of Southern Africa). The Swiss missionaries certainly left their mark on an area that previously had no hospitals, churches or education establishments. In 1999 Valdezia Mission Station was declared a national monument.

A development group has signed a 100-year lease agreement on 1 000 hectares of land at Valdezia and plans to develop a shopping centre and small factories within the next two years.

The developer is African Proficient Capital, a subsidiary of African Proficient Group, headed by Duke Mpapele, together with its development partners. The owner of the land is the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of South Africa (EPCSA), also known as the Swiss Mission. “This development will accelerate economic growth and job creation for the village,” said Mpapele. Mpapele, who was born and raised in Valdezia, is confident that the project will create numerous employment opportunities and will also make life easier for the residents, as they would no longer have to travel to nearby areas to access services such as banking. The whole area is said to be getting a face-lift with construction work,  scheduled to take place in two phases. The first phase, with a projected budget of around R10 million, is scheduled for completion by the first quarter of 2019. The second phase, also with a R10 million budget, is scheduled for completion by the first quarter of 2020. “The development will attract reputable, affordable retailers in clothing, food outlets, banking services, grocery, hardware, hair and beauty, communication services such as Internet and postal services, vehicle spares and a service station,” the developers said.

The area earmarked for construction is currently undergoing a rezoning process with the Makhado Municipality. The application is for a retail centre, a fuel station, an entertainment centre and a factory that produces beauty products out of a plant found in the Valdezia area. The moderator of the EPCSA, Reverend SPH Nyambi, was very excited about the project. “We could not have missed out on this opportunity to be partners in bringing development to the people of Valdezia where the origins of the church are deeply rooted,” he said.

The land where Valdezia is situated has a history that stretches back several centuries. It was one of the ancient Tsonga trading stations, where the traders stayed over when bringing their goods from the east coast. The Vhatsonga traded goods with, among other, the Bavenda. When large numbers of Tsonga people fled from the despotic rule from Soshangane in the early 1800s, they ended up in this area just south of the Soutpansberg mountain range. The Portuguese trader, João Albasini, came to the rescue of many of the refugees and was later considered to be one of their tribal chiefs. The area where they settled was then known as Klipfontein.

When the first Swiss missionaries arrived in 1875, they were given a friendly reception by Albasini and were allowed to establish a mission station among the Tsonga people. The area was renamed Valdezia, a name derived from the Swiss canton of Vaud, where the missionaries came from. The Swiss erected a clinic and the Valdezia Primary School in 1888 and Valdezia was also the forerunner of Elim hospital, which was established in 1899.

 

The Thathe Vondo Forest is sacred to the Venda people of Limpopo. Situated in the mountains above Lake Fundudzi, traditional folk lore says the forest is patrolled by a sacred white lion, which protects the graves of the chiefs of the Thathe clan who are buried in this sacred place. There is also rumoured to be a thunder and lightning bird called Ndadzi, which, according to myths, flies on the wings of thunder. The forest is comprised of giant hardwood trees such as the yellowwood. There is also a wide variety of ferns, creepers and plants which flourish in the climate. These make the forest nearly impenetrable on foot. The forest is also impenetrable from a cultural point of view; ordinary Venda people are not allowed to walk in the forest. This taboo extends to visitors, who are expected to respect the traditions and beliefs of the Venda people. This means hiking is not allowed in the forest. Visitors can, however, access the forest via a forestry track as long as they are accompanied by a local guide.

As it is relatively untravelled, this track is a good birding route. You can see forest species such as chorister robin-chat, white-starred robin, Knysna turaco, yellow-streaked greenbul and orange ground-thrush.

A visit to the forest can be combined with a visit to Lake Fundudzi, another place that is steeped in Venda mythology and legend. From Lake Fundudzi you can drive along the very top of the Soutpansberg, through afromontane grasslands and small patches of temperate forest. 

The Dzata Ruins (or Dzana ruins) are an archaeological site in Dzanani in the Makhado municipality, Vhembe district, in the north of South Africa. Scholars who have made a study of the various legends and traditions associated with the ruins, find it clear that they are many contradictions. Archaeological evidence has shed some lights on these events, but a great deal of work still remains to be done. It is certain that Dzata was built at an earlier date than many people are willing to admit. Radiocarbon dates suggest a beginning shortly after AD 1700, with an end some 50 to 60 years later. 

Documentary proof of this is found in Dutch records, which refer to an interview in 1730 with an African by the name of Mahumane, who had visited the kingdom of Thovhele some five years previously. Mahumane described a settlement built of dark-blue stone, with a wall enclosing the whole area. He also mentioned that the chief cities are made of the same stone. To date no stone-walled settlement has been found that is made of dark blue stone, other than Dzata. There is no doubt that Dzata was the capital of united Venda.

It is not clear what the role of the legendary Thohoyandou was at this stage. It is highly unlikely that he could remain chief throughout this period of a minimum of 50 years that Dzata was the capital. Oral history indicates very strongly that it was after the disappearance of Thohoyandou that Dzata was abandoned, and the Venda nation fragmented once more into independent chiefdoms. It seems very likely that Thohoyandou expanded the Venda empire to cover areas as far south as the Olifants River near Phalaborwa. No doubt trade played an important role in this.

Dzata ruins is now one of the national monuments in South Africa.

Venture off the beaten track 50km north-east of Louis Trichardt on the R523 between Thohoyandou and Makhado and you’ll find the Museum of the Drum and Dzata ruins. 

 

The rural peacefulness of the place makes it hard to believe that this was once a thriving community. This significant archaeological site is the remains of the royal kraal of the Venda kings and dates back six thousand years to 1400. Here you can learn about the rich art culture of the Venda and their famous domba dance at the Museum of the Drum. The building houses a replica of the enormous holy drum, reputed to have magical powers that incapacitate enemies. 

Entrance to the Museum of the Drum and Dzata ruins is free.

The superior administrative division is Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo, South Africa. The estimate terrain elevation above seal level is 813 metres.  It is situated approximately 140

km to the north-east of Polokwane, 60 km to the north-east of Makhado, 120 km to the south of Musina and 138 km to the south of the Beitbridge border to Zimbabwe. There are three formal villages situated near the Nzhelele Nature Reserve, namely the Makushu village 1.6 km to the west, Mufongodi village 3.3 km to the east and Musekwa village 2 km to the south-east of the reserve. The reserve can be accessed via the R525 off the N1 to Musina, or from the Pafuri Gate in the Kruger National Park via the R525. The Nzhelele Nature Reserve covers a total area of 2122.078 ha.

“Lake Fundudzi was created by a massive landslide about 20,000 years ago, blocking the flow of the Mutale river and slowly but surely creating this expansive lake” says Nelson Maphaha, our guide and camp host at Fundudzi Culture Camp. “The scar in the landscape is still clearly visible, once the mist clears”.

 

We stop well above the lake, where Nelson, starts the sacred narrative by explaining how to honour the ancestors. We turn our backs to the lake and awkwardly look through our legs, while Nelson greets the custodians of the lake in Tshiven?a. I secretly wonder if Nelson is bamboozling us tourists, but quickly realise he is completely sincere. We repeat the custom at the shores of the lake, but this time spitting on a small stone and throwing it into the lake through our legs. Storytelling is a deep-rooted tradition in African cultures and a means to communicate legends and beliefs to the next generation. Nelson makes himself comfortable on one of the boulders at the lake’s shore, before he starts his account of the sacred Lake Fundudzi.

Nelson talks about the Vhatavhatsindi clan, who believe their ancestors are linked to lake’s water. How they found white pythons and white crocodiles in the water that gave the lake its mystical powers. He describes the Tshitudwane (half-people), who occupy the lake, but have no ill intentions.

He speaks of Nwali (the god/creator), who lives in a nearby cave and occasionally comes down to the lake to bath and play the drum on three large egg-shaped rocks. He recounts the times before the arrival of the Europeans into the region, when ancestral gifts included the sacrificial offering of virgin girls. The stories make me wonder how much is lost in translation, but at the same time captivate my imagination and make me want to come back for the annual rituals still performed at the lake. When local people thank their ancestors for the rains and plentiful harvests, express gratitude for all the positives that happened over the year, and ask for continued good spirits. What a beautiful notion.

Vhembe District Municipality is a second-order administrative division and is located in Limpopo, South Africa, with a population of 1240035 habitants. The estimate terrain elevation above seal level is 1206 metres. Vhembe is situated in the Northern part of Limpopo Province, sharing borders with Zimbabwe in the north, Mozambique through Kruger National Park in the east and Botswana in the north west.

Vhembe District Municipality with its head quarters in Thohoyandou was established in 2000 through the process of transformation of Local Government. It was established in terms of Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998 as a demarcated sphere of governance. It is composed of four local municipalities, namely; Makhado, Musina,Thulamela and Mutale. It covers 21 407 km2 and has population of over 1.1 million living in 274 480 households. There are 8 hospitals situated all across the district. Vhembe is a Venda name for what is also known as the Limpopo River.

Makuya, also known as Makuya Nature Reserve, shares a fenceless border with the Kruger National Park and is about an hour's drive from the Pafuri Gate. Makuya Park lies in the north-eastern corner of Limpopo, formerly known as Venda (a homeland under the Apartheid Regime not far from the border with Zimbabwe, now incorporated into Limpopo).

A relatively small reserve its 16 000 hectares are leased from the Makuya, Mutele, and Mphaphuli tribes by the Limpopo province. The tented camp in the reserve rests on a mountain top overlooking the river. The reserve forms part of the ambitious Limpopo Transfrontier Park still in the throes of formation that includes the Kruger, Makuya and Letaba Ranch. The perimeters between the parks are fenceless allowing game to roam freely.

The Luvhuvhu River where hippos, elephants and crocodiles are easy to spot forms a natural divide between Makuya and Kruger. Any game happy to cross it, gains access to either. You can easily spot elephant, hippo, buffalo, lion, hyena, otter, impala, nyala, warthog and other game. Makuya is one of the lesser known reserves in the Limpopo. With a magic wilderness and a non-touristy feel to it as a result. Baobabs pepper the landscape, the Big 5 are readily available within the reserve and the birdlife is abundant – the Luvuvhu-Pafuri region is one of the birding hotspots of South Africa.

The only downside is that the roads in Makuya are not particularly friendly. However, in an ordinary sedan one can easily gain entry and find your way to Singo Camp, whereafter 4x4 guided game drives

 make spotting game effortless. If you have a 4x4 then other roads in Makuya are yours to explore. Makuya is on the Mutale Ivory Route.

Singo Safari Lodge is an awesome lodge, situated on the edge of a cliff and offering spectacular views over the Luvuvu River into the Kruger Park and a baobab forest in the Makuya Game Reserve. The Makuya reserve forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park and offers Big Five sightings. The Luvuvu-Pafuri region is also one of the top birding hot-spots of South Africa. This is truly a very special place and a very nicely laid out camp - every angle of this camp was built with the view in mind. With large Baobab trees all around, watch as the sun kisses them and they come alive with colour, watch the impala, baboons, nyala and waterbuck that walk along the banks of the river or look out for the eagles as they fly past in the sky. And don't put your cameras away at night as there are many opportunities to photograph nocturnal animals and night-scapes... 

In the shock waves following the rise of the Zulu kingdom early in the 19th Century, Masorini ended as a settlement.

This site is situated some 11km from the Phalaborwa Gate, on the road to Letaba. As the letters PI-NE appear on the trigonometric beacon, it was incorrectly believed to be another name for Masorini (Piene).

The ancestors of the Ba Phalaborwa stayed here. They made a living from the melting of iron. The smelters lived on the lower terrace at Masorini and the forgers in the higher terrace, because they had a higher standing in society. Today Masorini is a restored village with stonewalls, grinding stones, potsherds and the remains of foundries, including a smelting furnace, which date back to the 19th century.

There are also some implements dating back to the Stone Age. This village offers an insight into the economy and technology employed by the hunter-gathers, and later Iron Age people. The northeastern Sotho tribe that inhabited this village were known as the ba-Phalaborwa.

From the Masorini hilltop, there is a splendid view of Shikumbu Hill where the Chieftain lived. In the shock waves following the rise of the Zulu kingdom early in the 19th Century, Masorini ended as a settlement.

 

At sites such as Thulamela, in the North of the Kruger National Park, evidence of this bustling trade still exists in the form of glass beads, Chinese porcelain, imported cloth, ivory bracelets, gold, bronze and other jewellery. Glass beads are also found in the; Balule, Skukuza and Letaba River.

Evidence of early humans is also found in the area, dating back some 1.5 Million years. The San people also lived in the area as far back as 100 000 years ago. Some 2 000 year's ago, the first Nguni speaking people, looking for more grazing land for their cattle, migrated South into the area and displaced the San.

By 800 AD, the Arabs started raiding the area for slaves, using the ports in Mozambique. A civilization also sprang up in the Northern regions of the park. They built the Thulamela Stone Citadel, which was occupied from 1250 to 1700 AD. They extracted iron ore from up to 200 mines, converting it into iron for trade.

Archaeologists have recently excavated the tombs of an African king and queen who ruled here during the 16th Century. They named her Queen Losha - because she was buried with her hands placed under her cheeks in a position of great respect known as; 'losha', and him they named- King Ingwe - meaning leopard. This was because on the day his grave was found, a leopard was waiting as the excavating team returned to their vehicle.

The royal enclosure at Thulamela accommodated about a thousand people. Beyond the walled citadel, the hillsides are dotted with collapsed walls and signs of dwellings which indicate that up to 2 000 people may have lived here. There are also signs of lively trading. The people of Thulamela were skilled goldsmiths and their main currency was gold. This they traded, along with ivory, for glass beads and corn, with traders who came north of the Limpopo from what is today Mozambique. There is also evidence of contact with people from West Africa.

During the 18th Century, the Baphalaborwa settled in present-day Phalaborwa. It is said that they originally came from the North and settled at Bushbuck Ridge. From there they moved to between the Letaba and Olifants Rivers where they called their settlement Phalaborwa, meaning 'better than the south'. Their main trade item was iron, which they smelted themselves.

A COMMENT FROM FACEBOOK in 2022- 

"Thulamela- A hauntingly beautiful ancient settlement in the far north of the Kruger, on the once-thriving ivory-gold-people trade route between the Swahili coast (vilankoulos/inhambane) and Mapungubwe. 
The start of a quest with Peter Delius and colleagues to discover some of the pre colonial trading routes and sites that enriched central Southern Africa from around 1000AD. 
The magnificence of this hilltop site, with breath taking views over the valley of baobabs and the Livuvhu River floodplain, has for years been hidden from the world by rules, regulations and inertia of the Kruger Park authorities. Until now. Arrangements are in place, finally, for trained guides from Kruger and Return Africa’s lodges in the area to take visitors to this breath taking site. A reason in itself to visit this end of the Park!"

Set in a spectacular but remote veld landscape, Peter Rich Architects’ Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre exemplifies contemporary African architecture. Visible from its entrance gate, the Mapungubwe Centre is approached through a valley from where the outcrop of new buildings merges naturally into the veld!

As you enter the Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site, one of the things that first captures the eye is the architecture of the Museum and Interpretive Centre. The extraordinary curvature and lines of the building will mesmerise all visitors but the true treasures are located inside.

The centre was constructed with the intention of merging the natural location with the park's cultural heritage, by using modern environmentally sensitive techniques. In 2009 the building won the World Architectural Building of the Year Award, out-performing buildings from New York, Singapore and China.The stone-walling technique used in the building of the centre was adopted from a native method prevalent in the Mapungubwe area.

The motivation behind the costruction of such a centre was created when native communities requested the return of the remains and artifacts removed from Mapungubwe in the 1930's. The human remains we reburried. It was decided that the artifacts needed to be displayed in a museum in order to educate and inform visitors of the area's rich heritage.

A short boardwalk ramp leads you to the entrance of the facility, where you will be met by a knowledgeable guide who is eager to share the mysteries of Mapungubwe and one of southern Africa's first trading kingdoms, with you. The museum houses historical artefacts, images and information that tell the story of Mapungubwe's incredle history. The holy grail of the museum is the Golden Rhino which was discovered in a grave in 1932, more than seven centuries after the civilization inhabited the area. The museum tour ends with a short walk to a look-out point where you will be able to see the hill that was, according to legend, the inspiration behind architect Gerard Moerdijk's Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria.

 

Operating times: 

Mondays to Sundays (including public holidays) 8:00 - 16:00

Tariffs:Museum Tour R50 per person. Museum school group tour R15 per person

Golden Rhino Auditorium (accommodates 52 people) R710