Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site
Tel: (015) 534 7923/24
Fax: (015) 534 7926
Email: mapungubwe@sanparks.org
Website: http://www.sanparks.org/parks/mapungubwe/
Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site rich in biodiversity, great scenic beauty, culture and archaeological treasures.
While Mapungubwe National Park was declared in 1998, the Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (MCL) was declared as a National Heritage Site in 2001 and it was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2003.
The park contains evidence for an important interchange of human values that led to far-reaching cultural and social changes in southern Africa between AD 900 and 1300. At its height, the Mapungubwe State was the largest kingdom on the African subcontinent. It traded through the East African ports with Arabia and India was a significant stage in the history of the African sub-continent.
The Park is part of the Limpopo-Shashe Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA), involving Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Elephant, lion, leopard, hyena, white rhino, giraffe, eland, gemsbok and other antelope species occur here. Lucky visitors might spot predators like lions, leopards and hyenas. More than 400 bird species, have been recorded, including kori bustard, tropical boubou and pel’s fishing owl.
Five things to see and do
- Visit the Lost City - Mapungubwe Hill, bears evidence of a wealthy African kingdom. This is the place where archaeologists excavated the famous golden
- View the Golden Rhino - The Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre near the main gate of the Mapungubwe National Park won the building of the year competition in 2009 and is home to the famous Golden Rhino.
- Meet the neighbours – view the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers where South Africa meets Botswana and Zimbabwe.
- Take a Heritage Tour - visit the elite graveyard at the top of Mapungubwe Hill, view a natural amphitheatre and the entire spectrum of the region, traverse the territory once walked upon by the ancestral Mapungubwe People - now roamed by four of the Big 5.
- Take a guided walk – morning guided walks for up to eight people, provide a unique cultural heritage and bush experience.
