Facts & History

NELSPRUIT

Population 21,500
The city’s name has Dutch origin and means Nel’s stream
Capital of Mpumalanga Province
Located on a low-lying plateau known as the Lowveld
Surrounded by some of the country’s most spectacular game reserves and the famous Kruger National Park.
The primary trading center for the surrounding fruit growing area of Mpumalanga

Named after the Nel family, which settled in the area in 1905
Established as a railhead of the first section of construction on the railway from Mozambique to Pretoria

Kruger National Park – largest game reserve in South Africa
Lowveld National Botanical Gardens – the largest selection of cycads in Africa
Sudwala Caves – the oldest known caves in the world
Shangana Cultural Village – traditional Shangana village located midway between the Blyde River Canyon and Kruger National Park
God’s Window – a popular vantage point along the Drakensberg escarpment
Blyde River Canyon – One of the largest canyons on earth, 16 miles in length, and is, on average, 2500 feet deep
Mac-Mac falls – one of the most photographed sites in the lowveld area
Pilgrim’s Rest – historic mining village 30km from Nelspruit