Established to forge a path for the sustainable development of the province’s tourism industry, the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency is deeply committed to the conservation management of the region’s natural resources and ensuring the sector continues to be a catalyst for economic growth.
Lemmy Mdluli, Acting CEO, highlights some of Mpumalanga’s top spots and the agency’s efforts in the growth of this geographically diverse destination.
Q&A WITH LEMMY MDLULI, ACTING CEO, MPUMALANGA TOURISM AND PARKS AGENCY
Firstly, can you talk us through the origins of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency and its founding vision?
Lemmy Mdluli, Acting CEO (LM): The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) was established on the 1st April 2006 under the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency Act, 2005 (Act No. 5 of 2005).
The agency was created as a result of a merger between two separate entities – the Mpumalanga Parks Board and Mpumalanga Tourism Authority – with a vision to make the province a world-class tourism and wildlife economy destination.
The entity also aims to be a leading conservation agency and tourism authority by ensuring sustainable development.
Known as ‘The Place of the Rising Sun’, how does Mpumalanga stand out from other South African provinces?
LM: ‘Kuphuma kwelanga’ means ‘rising sun’ in Nguni. Mpumalanga is one of the preferred tourism destinations in the country due to its unique offerings such as scenic beauty, wildlife, adventure, culture, and heritage experiences.
The province is also strategically located, allowing tourists to visit our neighbouring countries like Eswatini and Mozambique.
How do you market Mpumalanga as a geographically diverse destination?
LM: Mpumalanga is a province in SA endowed with natural attractions and experiences bound to astound any traveller.
It offers an array of activities ranging from abseiling, white-water river rafting, fly-fishing, paragliding, mountain biking, bungee jumping, hiking, and 4X4 trails, to name a few.
Mpumalanga is undoubtedly the ultimate destination in terms of wildlife experience. Kruger National Park, Sabi Sands Game Reserve, and other reserves dotted throughout the province offer an exhilarating and unequalled experience that brings visitors close to nature. Kruger National Park, in particular, boasts a conservation area spanning two million hectares, rich with flora and fauna.
The Panorama Route along the Lowveld escarpment offers spectacular landscapes with attractions like the Blyde River Canyon, majestic waterfalls, and high-altitude scenic drives leading to places including God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, and the Three Rondavels.
The province also boasts a rich heritage, which is largely unexplored. The myriad historical sites include the Samora Machel Monument near Mbuzini and the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains – a UNESCO World Heritage Site with rock formations dating back more than 3.5 billion years.
Other sites not to be missed are the mining village of Pilgrim’s Rest, the Highveld Heritage Route abound with adventurous tales into history, and the stone circles of Mpumalanga, to name just a few.
Bird watchers can catch a glimpse of more than 500 different endemic birds in the Kruger National Park or the Chrissiesmeer area in the southern part of the province.
The Midveld region offers trout fishing opportunities in pristine rivers and dams, with Dullstroom referred to as SA’s trout-fishing Mecca.
The Southern Ndebele culture in the Highveld region, meanwhile, boasts artistic icons like Dr Esther Mahlangu who have managed to preserve, package, and export the colourful culture to international countries.
Mpumalanga is also an ideal golf destination with many world-class golf estates and courses providing sheer enjoyment of the game in complete serenity.
Can you tell us more about the organisation’s focus on infrastructure development across the province and how this will diversify Mpumalanga’s tourism offering?
LM: The entity is embarking on an infrastructure development drive to enhance the visitor experience and ensure tourists have a memorable time when visiting the vast tourism attractions in the province.
One of the major initiatives is the construction of the multi-million-rand Skywalk project which, once complete, will allow visitors to experience one of SA’s most iconic vistas in an entirely new way.
Located at the zenith of Mpumalanga’s Panorama Route, God’s Window offers visitors a vast view of the Lowveld and more than 900 metres (m) down into a lush indigenous forest-clad ravine. On a clear day, you can see as far as the Indian Ocean and Maputo, Mozambique.
The Skywalk will be a cantilevered glass walkway suspended off the edge of the cliff to give visitors a 360-degree panoramic view. The walkway will protrude about 12 m from the cliff and will be about five m wide.
The Skywalk is designed to be a global iconic attraction with a number of activities on-site, including a sky bridge, sky swing, zero-gravity room, and a conference and meeting facility. The plan is for a significant part of the activities to be run by local young people from the area.
How does MTPA maintain a balance between cultural preservation and modern-day tourism offerings?
LM: The entity continues to balance cultural preservation with modern travel needs through sustainable community-based tourism, achieved by integrating local heritage into economic activities and ensuring there are strict conservation, environmental, and cultural management regulations. This promotes authentic, community-led initiatives such as cultural villages and storytelling.
Home to an abundance of nature reserves and national parks, how best can travellers have an immersive wildlife experience in Mpumalanga?
LM: Tourists can enjoy an immersive wildlife experience through guided bush walks in the Manyeleti Game Reserve, which are conducted on foot with experienced field rangers, allowing visitors to connect with nature in a unique way by observing wildlife outside of a safari vehicle.
Travellers can also prioritise staying at other private game reserves dotted along the province for exclusive, off-road, and guided game drives. By combining this with walking safaris and exploring some of the scenic routes, travellers will have a memorable game-viewing experience and see breathtaking, diverse landscapes.
The Barberton Makhonjwa Geotrail, whilst primarily focused on geology, winds through the reserve’s most scenic elevations. It provides vantage points to encounter high-altitude flora and fauna like the Mountain Reedbuck antelope and the rare Protea curvata and Gerbera jamesonii plant species, which are found nowhere else on Earth.
Birding safaris are unmatched in Barberton Nature Reserve, as the land transitions from Lowveld bush to high-altitude grassland, meaning you can spot a vast range of species. It is best to hire a local guide who can grant access to restricted birding hotspots not usually open to the public.
For adventure-based viewing and those who want to get off the beaten path, local operators – such as Barberton Adventures – offer guided quad-biking and 4×4 tours. These allow travellers to reach remote corners of the reserve, such as the Kwena Dam or the historical ruins of Eureka City, where wildlife often congregates away from human traffic.
Can you tell us more about your biodiversity initiatives and how the agency is prioritising sustainable development and conservation?
LM: The entity is working closely with private sector partners, such as the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation (GKEPF), to ensure protected areas under MTPA’s management are secured.
The GKEPF provides technical support to MTPA, particularly in anti-poaching initiatives. The foundation assists the entity by removing snares in nature reserves, especially in Manyeleti Game Reserve, conducting aerial surveillance using drones, and repairing damaged perimeter fences. In addition, GKEPF has made funding available for the erection of fences in certain areas managed by MTPA to ensure they are protected and properly secured.
Conservation efforts have shifted from solely managing animals to protecting the Archaean rock exposures – some of the oldest and best-preserved volcanic rocks on Earth found at the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains.
Through a partnership with the Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary, MTPA additionally supports the protection and rehabilitation of orphaned rhinos.
MTPA is also implementing the National Government Wildlife Economy Programme, donating excess game to historically disadvantaged communities. This programme aims to redress the historic exclusion of previously disadvantaged individuals from the game farming sector by creating opportunities for the increased participation of local communities and emerging game farmers in the wildlife industry.
It will also provide mechanisms for the transparent and equitable supply of founder herds and raise awareness for conservation, protected area management, and sustainable utilisation principles in the wildlife industry.
What would you recommend to travellers who wish to go off the beaten path and see the hidden wonders of Mpumalanga?
LM: The province has natural attractions that offer travellers an array of activities ranging from scenic beauty, adventure, wildlife, culture, and heritage. Some of the interesting hidden wonders include hiking at the Blyde River Canyon – the deepest green canyon in the world; visiting some of the authentic cultural villages around the province; birdwatching at Wakkerstroom and Chrissiesmeer; rock climbing at Emgwenya, formerly known as Waterval Boven; visiting some of the archaeological sites; and exploring the Sudwala Caves, containing the oldest dolomite caves in the world.
What challenges does the tourism industry in Mpumalanga face and how is MTPA working to overcome them? Are you optimistic for the future?
LM: MTPA recently experienced flooding in some of the nature reserves under its management. As a result, several tourism attraction sites sustained damage to buildings and road infrastructure. During this period, they were temporarily closed to prioritise the safety of tourists.
These sites have since reopened and travellers are once again visiting Mpumalanga to enjoy its scenic beauty and wildlife experiences.
As the tourism sector evolves, the current plans are to work together with various stakeholders to get funding to assist travel organisations that have been severely affected by the floods in order for them to rebuild their business.
What makes 2026 the year for tourists to put Mpumalanga on their travel bucket list?
LM: 2026 is the premier year to visit Mpumalanga due to the celebration of 100 years of conservation in the iconic Kruger National Park.
The province offers unparalleled Big Five safaris and breathtaking natural wonders like the Blyde River Canyon.
Mpumalanga also has a year-round pleasant climate, making it a bucket-list destination for wildlife enthusiasts, adventurers, photographers, and filmmakers.
