Masorini

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.