Albasini Commemorative Plaque
Historical accounts suggest that Joao Albasini was born in 1813 on board a ship in the bay of Oporto…
Heritage Sites
Humans have been interacting with the Kruger ecosystem for the last 40,000 years.
The San (Bushmen) lived in the area during the Stone Age period for thousands of years. They left behind a rich collection of rock paintings and artefacts, whilst their way of life had little impact on the environment.
Iron Age civilizations settled in the Kruger Park area as early as 200 AD, and a couple of centuries later, the first Bantu-speakers settled in the Letaba area. As populations grew people hunted animals successfully. However, local diseases like malaria, kept occupation levels relatively low. From the 12th and 18th century the trade of glass beads, ivory, animal skin and meat where taking place thus, boosting the population. This continued until the prolonged and widespread Difaqane conflicts started displacing some of the people of that area.
Albasini Ruins
The archaeological remains of a 19th‑century trading post established by the Portuguese trader named João Albasini.
Baobab Hill
A well-known baobab tree situated on raised promontory platform or hill located along the road between Klopperfontein and Pafuri main road.
Bowker’s Kop
A hunting camp used by Miles Bowker, his cousin Alec Bowker and Charlie White and the founder of Barberton – Fred and Harry Barber.
Campbell 1929 Hut Museum
This hut is situated at Skukuza Rest Camp, some few meters away from Sabie River facing the old railway bridge.
Chief Matsafeni’s Grave
The final resting place of a respected and influential traditional leader in the region.
Chief Nyongame Memorial
Chief Nyongane Mkhabela’s family was forcefully evicted from Pretoriuskop in the 1930s. This tragic history includes a “cattle holocaust” and the Chief’s death from heartbreak, now honoured by a memorial.
Chief Nyongane Mkhabela Grave
Chief Nyongane Shikuvati Mkhabela was a royal headman who used to live within the boundaries of the KNP long before the park was established.
Crooks Corner
Crooks Corner served as a notorious refuge for outlaws, poachers, and illegal recruiters. Its strategic border location allowed infamous figures like “Bvekenya” Barnard to evade law enforcement by escaping into Mozambique.
Das Neves Cross
A Portuguese Cross carved into an old Leadwood tree. Of uncertain provenance, it is thought to have been made by Diocleciano Fernandes das Neves.
Delagoa Wagon Road
Established in 1844, this vital wagon route linked the Transvaal goldfields to Delagoa Bay. Despite wars and disease, it facilitated 19th-century trade and migration until the railway rendered it redundant.
Dipene Historical Site
This old tank was used for several years from 1938 as a foot bath to disinfect immigrants from Mozambique.
Fihla-Manzi
Fihla-Manzi was a well-known outpost used by the transport riders of the time on the road between Lydenburg and Delagoa Bay.
Founders’ Statue
Statue of the founders of the Kruger National Park: Paul Kruger, Piet Grobler and James Stevenson-Hamilton.
Frances Koppie Rock Art Site
The dominant painted panel is characterised by red painted pigments of prolonged human figures, giraffe, and antelope.
François de Cuiper’s Attack Site
In 1725, Chief Dawano’s warriors ambushed François de Cuiper’s Dutch expedition near the Lebombo Mountains. Seeking precious metals, the defeated party retreated to Mozambique, marking an early instance of indigenous resistance.
Frans de Kuiper Ambush Site
On 12 July 1725 Frans De Kuiper and his 30 men were ambushed in this vicinity by Chief Dawano’s warriors.
General Ben Viljoen Artillery Site
The site on the south bank of the Crocodile River is where the Boer forces spiked and destroyed most of their artillery pieces and ammunition.
Gomondwane
Gomondwane Road was the first jeep track laid by ranger C.R. de Laporte in the early 1920s, tracing ancient trade and migration routes.
Gonde Gonde Historical Site
During the Apartheid era, Kruger became a militarised buffer zone. Despite five military bases and a failed “sisal fence,” liberation fighters used the park’s international borders as strategic entry points.
Gumbandebvu
Named after a headman, Gumbandebvu is a sacred Venda hill where the rainmaker Nwakama performed rituals. Legend dictates that men must still shave their beards before ascending this spiritually significant site.
Historic Nyala Tree
The historic Nyala tree served as a Makuleke community gathering point for receiving “Dompas” identification during Apartheid. Today, it remains a living landmark symbolising resilience, cultural heritage, and ecological importance.
Jock of the Bushveld Site
This is the place where Sir Percy Fitzpatrick’s famous dog Jock of the Bushveld was born early in May 1885.
Josinkulu Drift
An overnight station for black porters who carried trade goods through the KNP.
Kaleka or Lonely Bull Iron Age Site
The site is an ephemeral Iron Age cave occupation indicated by few scattered diagnostic and undiagnostic sherds.
‘Klipkoppies’ Ranger Post
Established in the 1960s near the Lebombo Mountains, Klipkoppies was a vital early ranger post for wildlife protection. Though replaced in 1974, it remains a significant landmark of pioneering conservation history.
Klopperfontein Airstrip
Built in 1940 by the military for border security and anti-poaching, this former airstrip also marks the legacy of “Bvekenya” Barnard, a legendary hunter linked to early ivory trade and lawlessness.
Kowankulu
A culturally significant historical site known for its strong connections to indigenous heritage and ancestral traditions.
Madzaringwe
Discovered in 1995, this unique site contains 210-million-year-old Euskelosaurus fossils and petrified wood. It also features Iron Age settlements, marking a rare convergence of ancient paleontological and early human history.
Mafourteen Walling
These terraced walls were constructed or built by illegal immigrants from neighbouring Mozambique “Mafourteen” who were caught passing through the park to look for jobs.
Makahane Hill
Makahane Hill, an Iron Age settlement linked to the Khami Kingdom, was ruled by “Makahane the Terrible.” This defensive site preserves Vhalembethu cultural history and archeological evidence of early southern African political networks.
Makahane Iron Age Site
Makahane was a well-known chief living on a hill which to this day has his name…
Malahlapanga Hot Spring
This natural hot spring is named and gets its cultural significance from ancient Shangaan oral history of a tribal warrior…
Malonga Fountain
This is an ancient fountain at Pafuri situated adjacent to Malonga mineral prospecting site.
Malonga Mineral Prospecting Site
In the 1920s, the Gerber brothers explored the Malonga site for diamonds. While large-scale mining never developed, the remaining prospecting pits provide historical insight into early twentieth-century mineral exploration techniques.
Mashakadzi Ruins
An important archaeological and cultural site, representing the remnants of a once-thriving indigenous settlement.
Masorini Hill
Located 11 kilometres from Phalaborwa Gate, Masorini Hill preserves a 19th-century Northern Sotho site. It features restored huts and clay furnaces, showcasing the advanced iron-smelting expertise of the Ba-Phalaborwa ancestors.
Mass Cattle Grave
The mass cattle grave in the Pretoriuskop area is where forty of Chief Nyongane’s cattle were shot by Park officials together with more livestock of his relatives.
Matekevhele
An important cultural site that holds significant historical value due to the presence of well-preserved remains from earlier periods.
Matsulu A Rock Art Site
The paintings are a bit faded because of natural weathering, but the shelter’s general state of conservation is good.
Matsulu B Rock Art Site
The paintings are a bit faded because of natural weathering, but the shelter’s general state of conservation is good.
Muntshe Hill
Muntshe, a prominent rhyolite hill, blends geological beauty with deep history. Once an Iron Age settlement, it later served as a strategic base for Swazi regiments, marking centuries of human occupation.
Ngirivane
A notable archaeological site that preserves the remains of Iron Age settlements.
Nthanda Nyathi Ruins
These ruins reflect the complex social and cultural life of precolonial communities, offering important insights into their architecture, land use, and spiritual practices.
Ntomeni Spruit Dam
Ntomeni Spruit Dam is one of the many man-made structures associated with the beginning of the Kruger National Park.
Nwatimbuti Ruins
An archaeological site featuring the remains of early settlements likely dating back to the Iron Age period.
Old W.N.L.A. Station at Nwanetsi
Originally established as part of the infrastructure supporting migrant labour routes.
Papenfus Clock Tower
The historic Clock Tower at Skukuza Rest Camp was erected in memory of Herbert Boshoff Papenfus.
Paul Kruger Statue
Paul Kruger was a prominent Boer leader and the president of the then South African Republic (Transvaal) from 1883 to 1900.
Phabeni Ruins
Phabeni Ruins document indigenous life and the forced removal of families under racist colonial policies. Though seven households remained as “squatter labourers,” the last family was evicted after Nkayinkayi Mavundla’s death.
Pretoriuskop Grave
The significance of the grave is its association with the Voortrekker expeditions.
Pumbe Ranger Post
The original Pumbe outpost with a horse stable which could hold about five horses was most probably build by ranger W. Lloyd in the late 1920s.
Pumbe Shrines
Two round, domed structures were found near Pumbe camp site by researchers Andre Potgieter and Freek Venter.
Punda Maria Rest Camp
Punda Maria Rest Camp is in the northern section of the Kruger National Park, positioned in proximity to an artisan spring a place previously (before 1919) called Shikokololo.
Rangers Monument
The Rangers Monument pays homage to and commemorates the valued contribution of Kruger National Park Rangers.
Red Rocks
In the early 1890s it was known to the local people as Ribye-ra-Gudzani (meaning Gudzani’s Rock), derived from the name of one of their gods, Khubyane.
Rock Art near Afsaal
The term “rock art” refers to all paintings and engravings made by people on natural rock.
Rock Engraving at Mopani
The term “rock art” refers to all paintings and engravings made by people on natural rock.
Sacred Mount Tshikumbu
The Mount Tshikumbu area is classified as part of the late Iron Age and are associated with the Mojela, a sub-group of the Ba-Phalaborwa people…
Sardelli’s Store
Established in the 1800s by “Sardelli the Greek,” this trading post supplied travelers and sold marula liquor. Its controversial history includes ties to the Steinaecker’s Horse unit and mineral-worker exploitation.
Selati Railway Line
Before 1926, the Selati Railway was the primary transport for the Lowveld. It launched tourism via “round-in-nine” excursions, though a tragic 1970 crash eventually preceded the line’s closure in 1973.
Selati Train Station and Locomotive Engine
Records show that the Selati railway line and bridge are one of the most iconic structures associated with railways.
Shantangalala
An important archaeological site known for preserving the remains of early human settlements.
Shirimantanga Memorial Site
After his death, the ashes of renowned warden, James Stevenson-Hamilton, were scattered from a top Shirimantanga koppie.
Shirombe
A historical site of notable cultural importance, featuring remains that are closely linked to the indigenous heritage of the region.
Sibuyi Ruins
Ancient archaeological remains representing early Iron Age settlements within Kruger.
Steinaecker’s Horse Northernmost Outpost
Located near Makhadzi, this British military outpost supported Steinaecker’s Horse during the South African War. Archaeological excavations in 1997 revealed artifacts that now offer vital insights into early wartime logistics.
Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Centre
The Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library and Museum houses an impressive collection of historical accounts and informative displays.
Struben Cottage
The historical Struben Family Cottage in Skukuza is named for the Struben brothers, Fred and Harry.
The Shilowa Heritage Sites
The Tsonga-speaking Shilowa clan, famed for medical prowess and mystical defenses, migrated from Mozambique to the Lebombo foothills. Their heritage includes sacred hills, iron-smelting ruins, and ancestral gravesites within Kruger.
Thulamela
Thulamela is a 15th-century stone-walled National Heritage Site linked to Great Zimbabwe. Its 1990s discovery fostered vital partnerships between SANParks and local Venda and Tsonga communities through shared archaeological oversight.
Trichardt Plaque
This plaque commemorates the 1837 Great Trek route of Louis Trichardt’s party. It marks their September resting spot during a perilous wagon journey from the Soutpansberg to Delagoa Bay.
Tsengemanti Trading Post
Tsengemanti, meaning “buy water” in SeSwati, was a vital 19th-century trading post operated by Alf Roberts. It supported transport riders and long-distance trade networks along wagon routes near the Crocodile River.
Vapor Trail
The Vapor Trail features significant San rock art paintings depicting animals, human figures, and spiritual motifs. These ancient works offer vital records of hunter-gatherer life, hunting practices, and San spirituality.
William Lloyd Grave
The grave of Mr W. W. Lloyd, a ranger at Sabie game reserve from 1919 – 1922.
Witwatersrand Native Labour Association
The Wenela station at N’wanetsi coordinated migrant labour recruitment from Mozambique for Witwatersrand gold mines. This historical hub reflects the colonial exploitation of African workers and shaped the park’s early roads.