Musina – Safari’s and Hunting in this Mineral Wealthy Town
The town of Musina, in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, is the country’s northernmost town and the closest to the Limpopo River border of neighboring Zimbabwe. The town owes its existence to the region’s abundant mineral wealth, which includes iron ore, graphite, coal, magnetite, diamonds, asbestos and, most notably, copper.
The terrain around Musina supports low-shrub and thorny tree vegetation which is teeming with animal life, and undoubtedly the main attraction for holidaymakers and tourists are the many game lodges offering safaris – both photographic and hunting. Reserves in the Musina area include the Musina Nature Reserve, characterized by its abundance of the oddly-shaped baobab trees, and the Limpopo Valley National Park incorporating the archaeological site of Mapungubwe. Other points of interest include the massive Matakwe granite rock at the Musina Experimental Farm, and the Dingola Execution Rocks historically used by Musina chiefs to mete out punishment on wrong-doers.
The history of Musina goes back to prehistoric times when the Musina tribe discovered the rich copper reserves of the area. These reserves were re-discovered by prospectors in the early 20th century, resulting in a settlement springing up in no time. At that time the settlement was named Messina, an incorrect spelling of the name of the tribe that first discovered the copper, and was changed in 2003 to the correct spelling. The Musina Museum located at the library details the town’s natural and social history, and the Zeederberg’s Mail Coach stands in front of the town’s civic center as a reminder of a once-busy stagecoach route between Pretoria and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) over a century ago.
