Ngwenya Mines

The old mines of Ngwenya, inactive since 2017, claim to be the oldest mine in the world. This is because the San people used to come here to scrape iron off the rocks for those rock paintings you may have seen in other areas (including Drakensberg), as well as sunscreen would you believe it. The guide used it for his hand and says he uses is every time he comes here on a tour.

Arriving at 08:00 when they open the gate (actually I opened it but the guy came down the road a few minutes later anyway), I paid the entrance fee of 30 Rand (equals to 30 emalangeni but I didn't have any) and we drove up to the visitor center with my car. The ticket price includes a tour guide which is really great. The park also has game so you could technically pay just park entrance fee and see everything by yourself but it wouldn't be very insightful. As usually there are two staff on hand it isn't a problem if he leaves but at the moment he is alone and he actually unmanned the booth and any tourists arriving after me would have to wait for 90 minutes. I thus strongly suggest to be there at 08:00 as well. The tour is quite long because it involves some light hiking to the Lion Cavern. The visitor center unfortunately burnt down in September last year. The first stop is in front of it nethertheless to …

The Ngwenya Mines comprise the only entry on the Tentative List of Swaziland, a country without a proper WHS so far. The site has been lingering on that list already since 2008. It claims to be the “oldest mine in the world”. Its iron ore deposits were worked at least 42,000 years ago, when red haematite and specularite (sparkling ores) were extracted by the forefathers of ancient San Bushmen. The mining history of Ngwenya further consists of early iron smelting by the Bantu from 400 AD on and the ‘modern’ mining of the 20th century by foreign companies.

I entered Swaziland by rental car from South Africa, crossing the border at Oshoek. The turn-off for the ‘Old Ngwenya Mine’ lies right after the border crossing. It is signposted well. After a few kilometers uphill drive I arrived at the gate to the Malolotja Nature Reserve, of which the former mines now are a part of. A ranger welcomed me, collected the 28 Rand entrance fee and jumped into the passenger seat so we could drive further up to the mine itself.

The first view of the mine pit is quite spectacular. Although the stepped walls made during the blasting process are still visible, the hole is now almost fully covered by trees and bushes. Since the mine closed in 1977, nature has had almost 40 years to win back its territory. Mammals have returned, mostly monkeys.

All historic mining stages are represented at the visitor center, which lies next to …