Exploring Limpopo's Secret Emerald Valley

During a visit to the enchanting Magoebaskloof valley in Limpopo, EVAN NAUDÉ discovered a lot more than just lush forests and beautiful dirt roads.

- Evan Naudé

​In the heart of Limpopo, just outside the bustling town of Tzaneen, there lies a valley called Magoebaskloof. When you look at a satellite image of the area, it’s as if Mother Nature spilled a bucket of green paint right there and didn’t have much left to brush the rest of the province with. Scientifically speaking, it is the geography that makes this region such a green anomaly in a province that is otherwise covered in browner hues of typical bushveld. The mountains here, the highest in the province, grab hold of the clouds and squeeze their precious cargo out onto the undulating landscape below. The result is the second largest indigenous forest in the country and a thriving forestry industry. A multitude of rivers, waterfalls and dams lay tucked away between the leafy mountain slopes. And of course, a network of dirt roads that never quite gets the chance to dry out properly link it all together. Taking all of this into account, I realised that I would sell myself short if I just passed through a place like this without stopping to take it all in. So I decided to give myself four days to do just that.

An adventurous day