By John Young
The National Department of Tourism will host a Tourism Investment Conference in Mpumalanga in September 2025 to coincide with the visit of G20 ministers to South Africa.
The venue is no surprise as Mpumalanga has several incomparable tourism jewels: the world-class Kruger National Park is among at least 70 parks and reserves, the remarkable Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains UNESCO World Heritage Site and the awe-inspiring Blyde River Canyon are among others. The Innibos Lowveld National Arts Festival has become a fixture and a very popular festival, with music at its heart.
Among the plans to further enhance the province’s tourism sector are a three-country promotion campaign, TRILAND, a public-private partnership to build an International Conference Centre and the improvement of tourism infrastructure across the province. The Provincial Government of Mpumalanga aims to increase the tourism industry’s contribution to GDP from 5.8% to 8% and declared that the sector is among those that it counts as a priority sector.
Sports and adventure tourism play a key role in the province’s offering. The 43 000-seater Mbombela Stadium, built to be one of the venues when South Africa hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup, has become a firm favourite with soccer fans and Springbok rugby supporters love the place. The atmosphere for each of the South African team’s wins against Scotland, Wales, Argentina (twice) and New Zealand has been electric.
Outdoor pursuits
For many years, Mpumalanga has been synonymous with motor rallying. The transition from Highveld to Lowveld no doubt has something to do with the popularity of the province for rally riders, with steep inclines and tough gradients to test competitors.
One of the province’s public roads even has a reputation for excitement. Among motorcyclists, there is a 22km stretch of the R536 between Salie and Kierpersol that is known as the “Infamous 22”. This part of the Bergvliet Pass, which passes through the Bergvliet plantation, has curves that motorcycling enthusiasts love.
Moving on to motor cars, the multi-event South African National Rally Championship (SANRC) often holds more than one event in Mpumalanga with venues such as Dullstroom, Ermelo and Secunda. Not all rallies are part of the Championship. The 2024 NRC season comprised five events which culminated in Dullstroom. The final event was held over two days with 22 teams in various classes competing across 14 challenging stages.
The South African Rally-Raid Championship is part of the World Rally-Raid Championship (officially abbreviated as W2RC). Round 1 of the 2024 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) began with the Nkomazi 400 in Malalane, yet another Mpumalanga town given over to rallying.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing SA entered four crews, all driving the latest version of the GR Toyota Hilux EVO, pictured above, which was used during the Dakar Rally. An 11km race determines the starting positions for Loop 1, the first of two loops of 169km that pass through farmlands and the mountainous terrain surrounding the town of Malalane in the far-eastern part of the province.
Leg power
Tourists can hire quad bikes or go on cycle tours organised by tour operators. For example, one can experience the banks of the Sabie River on a quad bike or explore a macadamia plantation from a similar vantage point. Tripadvisor lists Mankele Adventures and Kaapsehoop Scootours as options for bicycle tourism.
Alternatively, serious cyclists can saddle up and sign up for any one of several events held in the province. These include the Sabie Classic, described as “an experience you won’t forget” in the “stunning forests of Sabie”, which has four options ranging from 10km to 65km routes and was held in April in 2025.
The rather more challenging Sabie Cycle will happen in October 2025. Held over three days and 364km, the route rises more than 7 000 metres as it passes over Spitzkop and the Long Tom Pass and through Graskop, Pilgrims Rest and Lydenberg before returning to Sabie via the “Infamous 22”.
Hikers and walkers are also spoilt for choice in Mpumalanga.
This description of the Beestekraalspruit Hiking Trail at Sudwala appears on the Forestry in South Africa website: “This route gently climbs through pine plantation, indigenous scrub forest and grassland to the cliff edge of the Beestekraalspruit, after which it descends gradually into the gorge with its riverine forest. The route follows the Beestekraalspruit for about 4km and crosses the stream 20 times by means of wooden bridges.”
This trail is on SAFCOL land and is available for hiking. Another major land owner, Sappi, decided some years ago to formalise its relationship with the people who use its land. With about one-third of its landholdings unplanted, the company wanted to promote healthy lifestyles by encouraging non-motorised sports such as running, walking and mountain biking.
The Sappi Trails Programme was initiated in 2011 to minimise risk while maximising the benefits for both trail users and for Sappi. Partnerships have been developed with so-called trail custodians. In Mpumalanga that includes Mankele Mountain Biking (near Sudwala Caves, north-west of Mbombela) and Tranquilitas Adventure Farm (Slaaihoek Road, Emgwenya).
Hotels and lodges
The Provincial Government of Mpumalanga intends asking national government for a fourth casino licence for the province.
Radisson Hotels has introduced a Sports Approved programme which is available at its Hoedspruit property. The recently launched Radisson Safari Hotel Hoedspruit represents the group’s first safari hotel on the continent and illustrates the variety of types of accommodation options on offer by Radisson. Altogether the hospitality company offers 10 brands.
The Sports Approved programme targets sports teams with up to 15% in discounts and flexible cancellations among the special offers designed to attract sporting groups. The International Sports Travel Agencies Association (ISTAA) has established a partnership with Radisson in relation to Sports Approved. ISTAA is a partnership of travel agencies working in sport with members in more than 50 countries on six continents.
Tsogo Sun Hotels has again adopted the Southern Sun brand. With the acquisition of the Hazyview Sun, the group has a total of seven properties in the province, ranging from two StayEasys to Southern Sun Emnotweni in Nelspruit.
Tsogo Sun, as distinct from Tsogo Sun Hotels which is no more, has interests in casinos and gaming and runs two hotels in Witbank. Protea Hotels by Marriott has two properties in Mpumalanga. At White River, Premier Hotel The Winkler is 20 minutes’ drive from the Numbi Gate of the Kruger National Park.
Forever Resorts has a big presence in the province, including the four-star Forever Resorts Mount Sheba. The Graceland Hotel Casino and Country Club is a Peermont resort in Secunda.
Four nature reserves under the control of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) now have accommodation facilities, after upgrades to Songimvelo-Kromdraai Camp, Andover, SS Skosana and Manyeleti.
In 2024 MTPA signed a strategic partnership with the Aspinall Foundation to elevate the Loskop Dam Nature Reserve to a Big Five game reserve. A collaboration with Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation to fight poaching in Manyeleti has also been initiated. This collaboration includes establishing new pickets, the maintenance of fences and the training of field rangers. Tourism Safety Monitors have been introduced at key points around the province.
Mpumalanga Business 2025/26 edition
Read on and explore the 2025/26 edition of Mpumalanga Business, the premium business and investment guide to Mpumalanga Province:
