Creatures of the wild kind like their life in Hoedspruit too

Living close to wildlife is an integral part of the town's character, which its people adore.

- By Lucas Ledwaba

Tourism is part of what makes Hoedspruit's heart beat.

(Photo: Mukurukuru Media)

Long before Hoedspruit's cafés start grinding coffee and the first diesel bakkies rumble down the streets, the town awakens in quiet, deliberate ways.

The Lowveld light stretches over the Drakensberg foothills, turning the mountains pink and gold, while the calls of francolins echo through the bush. For those who live here, the town belongs first to nature, and only then to its people.

Hoedspruit, located along the bustling R40 road that leads to, among other places, the Orpen Gate of the Kruger National Park, is one of those “if you blink you miss it” hamlets. It falls under the Maruleng Municipality, which derives its name from the marula trees that grow in abundance in the area. Its heartbeat is defined best by the municipality's slogan - wildlife haven.

Residents have learnt to move with the rhythm of the town. Shopkeepers lift roller doors in the early hours and roadside stalls are stacked with fruit crates under the warming sun.

The railway station, a relic of the old Selati line that once hauled gold and timber, remains a key landmark. Although trains no longer pass through, the redbrick building still draws tourists and locals alike.

"This building," says resident and town storyteller Christine du Preez, "once shook like a drum when the locomotives thundered through. But the stories, those are louder than any train."