Nelspruit Area Information/Nelspruit Directory

Blessed to be situated in the fertile Crocodile River Valley, Nelspruit also enjoys the privileges of being the political capital of Mpumalanga one of the key provinces of South Africa. 

The history of this beautiful, fast growing metropolitan area dates back to 1892. It all started off with the construction of a station up the Crocodile river valley, built on a farm owned by the Nel family. The place Nelspruit (Nels stream or Mombela) attracted traders and farmers in high profile because of the natural richness of the soil, adequate water for irrigation and a level valley floor.

The large town of Nelspruit has interesting cultural and heritage sites including the sundial in the shape of a wagon wheel at the town hall which is a memorial to Louis Trichardt and his 1837 trek to Lourenco Marques. Legend has it that the Kruger millions could be hidden in the nearby Sudwala Caves, where the Boers stored ammunition for their heavy 94-pounder Long Tom guns.

The climate and soil in the hot Lowveld valley of the Crocodile River means that Nelspruit is within a subtropical garden region, and is responsible for the growing of about one-third of the country's citrus fruits. In spring and summer innumerable bougainvilleas, bauhinias and other blooming plants transform the town into a sea of colour. Roads are lined with lilac jacaranda, purple bougainvillea and other flamboyant shrubs. The aloe flowers can be seen in the mild winter. The town itself is quite large but still very pleasant and forms a road and rail link from Pretoria and Johannesburg to Maputo in Mozambique to the south-east, and the Panorama Route and Kruger National Park to the north and north-east.
Read more about the Nelspruit Area.