Limpopo - SA's northern province & an eco-tourism delight
Dramatic, surprising... and brimming with potential
Most regional destinations have gateway brands that draw people and then spread them into the hinterland. Not so Limpopo. The cities we've seen so far are pretty unmemorable, but it's the country areas that really attract and leave lasting memories.
Limpopo's strong destination brands are Kruger National Park, Waterberg and Bushveld. It is, however, the product brands that carry the province's tourism industry. They may not have wide recognition, but they do have very strong customer loyalty.
The first thing one has to get one's head around are all the name changes, where some have even been changed back to their old names. This causes havoc with road maps and even the SA Weather Service still uses most of the old names.
| Old name | New name | Changed back |
|---|---|---|
| Pietersburg | Polokwane | |
| Warmbad | Bela Bela | |
| Nylstroom | Modimolle | |
| Naboomspruit | Mookgophong | |
| Potgietersrus | Mokopane | |
| Ellisras | Lephalale | |
| Louis Trichardt | Makhado | Louis Trichardt |
| Messina | Musina | |
Named after the great Limpopo River that flows along its northern border, this province is rich in wildlife, spectacular scenery and a wealth of historical and cultural treasures. Straddling the northern Kruger Park, Limpopo province boasts wildlife safaris, nature trails – untamed Africa at its finest. This is the land of wide-open bushveld, big-sky country, the ever-present thorn tree and the mystical baobab tree.
In terms of local government, Limpopo Province delivered the worst service to its citizens compared to all South African provinces, in the Munidex service delivery index in 2009. Click here to read more.
Climate
Limpopo is renowned for its hot yet pleasant summers and dry winters.
Its weather is characterised by almost year-round sunshine. It can get very hot in summer (October – March), with temperatures rising to 27°C (80,6°F) and, sometimes, even touching the mid-30°s (mid 90°s).
Major Attractions in the Area:
• Makapansgat Valley – In February 1925, Professor Raymond Dart announced the discovery of the first ape-man.
• Mapungubwe – The great ruins at Mapungubwe, in the Limpopo River Valley, show remains of the first and greatest ever South African kingdom that flourished.
• Modjadji Cycad Nature Reserve – Boasting some of the oldest and largest cycad specimens on earth.
• Kruger National Park – Spot the big five from your luxury safari vehicle, or go tracking on foot in the most famous game park in the world.
• The Ivory Route - There are 54 provincial reserves, 10 of which are being developed into a series of camps that follow in the footsteps of historical characters.
• Bela-Bela – Known as Warmbaths for a few decades, because of the hot mineral spring at its centre. This part of the world offers cheap accommodation and fun for the whole family. Bela-Bela is a gateway to the southern Waterberg and/or Thabazimbi.
• Venda Myths and Legends.
- Lake Funduzi – Sacred burial ground of the royal Venda clan, and place of birth and creation in Venda mythology.
- The Vondo Forest – Contains the Holy Forest within which lies Mount Thate, home of the Venda’s ancestral spirits and burial site of the royals.
- Dzata Ruins – Built in around 1700, and once the flourishing capital of the Venda empire.
- The legendary Domba dance (also known as the python dance) is an essential ritual in the initiation rites for young Venda females.
• Lapalalala Wilderness – This 25 000 hectare wilderness in the Waterberg contains rare roan and sable antelope, white and black rhino and a plethora of animals and birds.
• Hiking in Letaba – The two-day Debengeni and three-day Dokolewa trails are a must. Day walks are also on offer.
• Horse-back Safaris – The Waterberg is recognized as one of the best places to take part in horse-back safaris.
• Rhino Museum – The Laalala Wilderness Area is a sanctuary for wild and endangered animals and birds. The world’s only dedicated Rhino Museum can be found here.
• Arts and Crafts – The Gazankulu and Venda regions are known for their fantastic arts and crafts. Clay pots, basketwork, painting, tapestries and fabrics are all up for grabs at pretty reasonable prices. There are a number of famous artists (sculptors) that come from the Venda region, for example, Noria Mabasa and Jackson Thugwane.
Click here to see the list of all Limpopo businesses in CapeInfo's directory.
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Editor reviews
Fantastic! ... but it's waiting for new management
Limpopo should score far higher ratings, and it is largely local/provincial government that let things down.
First of all, looking at personal safety:
CapeInfo must issue a travel advisory to all visitors - traffic management and road safety must rate among the worst in the world. You'll be stopped to show your driver's licence many times, you'll pass large groups of traffic officers manning speed traps, but you'll see very few, if any, traffic cops patrolling the roads for moving violations.
And those abound. A solid white line seems to mean passing is permitted, and a double white line means "pass now!" With the large number of heavy and articulated trucks and mini-bus taxis on Limpopo's roads, it is a very dangerous province for road users, as statistics show.
Polokwane's roads department must be illiterate! That city has the worst roads signs anywhere and we saw newly erected signs showing Makhado and Polokwane in the same direction. (Look on the map above to see where they are!) A day later, Makhado was crudely crossed out on the sign.
The SA National Roads Agency in Limpopo must take some flak too. Driving north, the R71 - which should be one of Limpopo's most important tourist routes - is hardly signposted at all.
As far as scenic and environmental quality is concerned, Limpopo almost scores a 5. Areas like the Waterberg Biosphere, Route 71 between Magoebaskloof and Phalaborwa, the R524 between Louis Trichardt and Thohoyandou, and the road over the Soutpansberg are spectacular.
Mining has been Limpopo's saviour but it's a temporary and false saviour. It is not sustainable, it has created false senses of security and has seen environmental degradation. From what we saw, only Rio Tinto in Phalaborwa is trying to make a long-term difference.
Limpopo is let down by its towns - they are without any doubt a mess. The best town in Limpopo we visited and one that should be among SA's most loved destinations is the tiny village of Haenertsburg in Magoebaskloof. Thohoyandou is the friendliest and has the greatest potential, while Tzaneen and Phalaborwa - both winners of South Africa's annual cleanest town award - do try harder.
At the end of 2009 when the recession bit, thousands were retrenched in Mokopane and many businesses folded as a result. We asked for a meeting with Mokopane's mayor and municipal manager to discuss the town, but a lack of basic manners or professionalism on their part saw no response. In contrast, we found great warmth and dynamism in Musina, Phalaborwa and Thohoyandou.
You won't chose to visit Limpopo because of the quality of food, shopping and entertainment. It's all national brands in largely third-world shopping streets. Polokwane's Savannah shopping mall is wholely overrated, and its main attraction is cinemas - a rarity in Limpopo. Thohoyandou is arguably a more pleasant shopping destination than Polokwane.
You may have great dining experiences in the country lodges, but don't expect that in any of the towns. We found it safer to eat at a chain like The Dros.
Now hospitality and friendliness is the one criterion that we really debated lots. We experienced some of the warmest and friendliest people, and some of the worst. One needs far more experience to comment knowledgeably, but those of Venda origin do seem to be more confident, outgoing and friendly than most others in Limpopo.
If Limpopo wants to be globally competitive, a lot of effort must be put into quality education and service training. It's so easy to discount Limpopo by saying, "Oh, Julius Malema comes from there," to explain it all. (The press he gets overseas is hardly promotion for SA.)
There is a lot to do in Limpopo once one leaves the towns. But in most cases these are badly promoted by the provincial and local tourism organisations. Limpopo has not achieved even 10% of its potential in promoting what the province has to offer.
The same is true of Limpopo's culture and heritage. Again the towns disappoint. You're going to have to look hard to see any architectural heritage - it's all been flattened and replaced by indescribable crap.
But Limpopo abounds with a rich cultural heritage. But you've got to work to find it.
