The Matobo National Park forms the core of the Matobo or

Matopos Hills The Matobo National Park forms the core of the Matobo or Matopos Hills, an area of granite kopjes and wooded valleys commencing some south of Bulawayo, southern Zimbabwe. The hills were formed over 2 billion years ago with granite being force ...

, an area of

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies un ...

kopjes and wooded valleys commencing some south of

Bulawayo Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council ...

, southern

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

. The hills were formed over 2 billion years ago with granite being forced to the surface, this has eroded to produce smooth "whaleback dwalas" and broken kopjes, strewn with boulders and interspersed with thickets of vegetation. Matopo/Matob was named by the Lozwi, who are the ancestors of Kalanga. A different tradition states that the first King , Mzilikazi Khumalo when told by the local residents that the great granite domes were called madombo he replied , possible half jest, "We will call them matobo" - an IsiNdebele play on 'Bald heads'. The Hills cover an area of about 3100 km² (1200 sq mi), of which 424 km² (164 sq mi) is

National Park A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...

, the remainder being largely communal land and a small proportion of commercial farmland. The park extends along the Thuli, Mtshelele,

Maleme Maleme ( el, Μάλεμε) is a small village and military airport to the west of Chania, in north western Crete, Greece. It is located in Platanias municipality, in Chania regional unit. History Bronze Age A Late Minoan tholos tomb has been ...

and Mpopoma river valleys. Part of the national park is set aside as a 100 km² (39 sq mi) game park, which has been stocked with game including the white

rhinoceros A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct specie ...

. The highest point in the hills is the promontory named Gulati (1549 m; 5082 ft) just outside the north-eastern corner of the park. Administratively, Matobo National Park incorporates the Lake Matopos Recreational Park, being the area around Hazelside, Sandy Spruit and Lake Matopos. The national park is located within the southern Africa

bushveld The Bushveld (from af, bosveld, af, bos 'bush' and af, veld) is a sub-tropical woodland ecoregion of Southern Africa. It encompasses most of Limpopo Province and a small part of the North West Province of South Africa, the Central and Nort ...

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...

History

The national park is the oldest in Zimbabwe, established in 1926 as Rhodes Matopos National Park, a bequest from

Cecil Rhodes Cecil John Rhodes (5 July 1853 – 26 March 1902) was a British mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. An ardent believer in British imperialism, Rhodes and his Bri ...

. The original park borders extended well to the south and east of the current park. These areas were redesignated for settlement as part of a compromise between the colonial authorities and the local people, creating the Khumalo and Matobo Communal Lands. The park area then increased with the acquisition of World's View and Hazelside farms to the north. The current name Matobo reflects the correct vernacular pronunciation of the area. The Matobo Hills were designated as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

in 2003. The area "exhibits a profusion of distinctive rock landforms rising above the granite shield that covers much of Zimbabwe".

Features

Flora

The Matobo Hills is an area of high botanic diversity, with over 200 species of tree recorded in the national park, including the mountain acacia, wild pear and the

paperbark acacia ''Vachellia sieberiana'', until recently known as ''Acacia sieberiana'' and commonly known as the paperbark thorn or paperbark acacia, is a tree native to southern Africa and introduced into Pakistan. It is used in many areas for various purposes ...

.''Zimbabwe - The Spirit of Matobo (Matopos)'
Siyabona Africa
There are also many

aloes Agarwood, aloeswood, eaglewood or gharuwood is a fragrant dark resinous wood used in incense, perfume, and small carvings. This resinous wood is most commonly referred to as "Oud" or "Oudh". It is formed in the heartwood of aquilaria trees when ...

, wild herbs and over 100 grass species. Many types of rare endemic plants have been recorded.

Fauna

Matobo National Park has a wide diversity of fauna: 175 bird, 88 mammal, 39 snake and 16 fish species. Game include

white rhino The white rhinoceros, white rhino or square-lipped rhinoceros (''Ceratotherium simum'') is the largest extant species of rhinoceros. It has a wide mouth used for grazing and is the most social of all rhino species. The white rhinoceros consists ...

s, sable antelopes,

impala The impala or rooibok (''Aepyceros melampus'') is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The only extant member of the genus ''Aepyceros'' and tribe Aepycerotini, it was first described to European audiences by Ger ...

and

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, ...

s. The park contains the world's densest population of the latter,''Mountain bike safaris in the Matobo hills'
Adventure trails
due to the abundance of

hyrax Hyraxes (), also called dassies, are small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. Hyraxes are well-furred, rotund animals with short tails. Typically, they measure between long and weigh between . They are superficially simila ...

, which make up 50% of their diet. The game park in the west has been restocked with

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

and

black rhino The black rhinoceros, black rhino or hook-lipped rhinoceros (''Diceros bicornis'') is a species of rhinoceros, native to eastern and southern Africa including Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania ...

s, the former from KwaZulu-Natal in the 1960s and the latter from the Zambezi Valley in the 1990s. It has been designated as an Intensive Protection Zone for the two species, as well as

hyena Hyenas, or hyaenas (from Ancient Greek , ), are feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Hyaenidae . With only four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the Carnivora and one of the smallest in the cl ...

s, hippopotami,

giraffe The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, '' Giraffa camelopardal ...

zebra Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zebr ...

wildebeest Wildebeest ( , , ), also called gnu ( or ), are antelopes of the genus ''Connochaetes'' and native to Eastern and Southern Africa. They belong to the family Bovidae, which includes true antelopes, cattle, goats, sheep, and other even-toe ...

s and

ostrich Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There ...

es.''Matobo National Park'' Undated pamphlet by Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority Matobo National Park contains the highest concentration of black eagles, and breeding pairs of these birds, worldwide.''Matobo National Park'
Victoria Falls Safaris
A limnological research centre has operated since 1950 at Maleme Dam''Round-table meeting on research needs in aquaculture and culture-based fisheries in Zimbabwe'', 1991

and researched species such as the yellow-fish, '' Barbus mattozi''.

Geography and geology

The Matobo Hills are composed entirely of granite, making up the Matopos Batholith. The granite weathers into fantastic shapes, such as the

balancing rock A balancing rock, also called a balanced rock or precarious boulder, is a naturally occurring geological formation featuring a large rock or boulder, sometimes of substantial size, resting on other rocks, bedrock, or on glacial till. Some formati ...

s known as ''Mother and Child Kopje''. Between the granite mountains, narrow valleys form. These are often swampy valleys known as dambos or vleis, due to runoff from the whaleback mountains. These valleys form the headwaters of the

, Mpopoma and Mtsheleli rivers, and the source of the Thuli River is just east of the park.

Archaeological, historical and cultural sites

San (Bushmen) lived in the hills about 2,000 years ago, leaving a rich heritage in hundreds of

rock painting In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type also ...

s. There are over 3,000 registered rock art sites, with the main periods of painting being between 320 and 500 C.E.. In the many crevices and caves, clay ovens and other historic artefacts have been found, and various archaeological finds date back as far as the Pre-

Middle Stone Age The Middle Stone Age (or MSA) was a period of African prehistory between the Early Stone Age and the Late Stone Age. It is generally considered to have begun around 280,000 years ago and ended around 50–25,000 years ago. The beginnings of ...

, around 300,000 B.P.Cooke, C.K. 1963. Excavation at Pomongwe Cave, Matopo Hills. ''South African Bulletin of Archaeological Research'', 75–151Garlake, P. 1987. ''The Painted Caves, an introduction to the prehistoric art of Zimbabwe''. Modus, Harare. The following major sites have been developed for tourist access: '' Bambata Cave'' is a major archaeological site,Information from site museums, maintained by the Zimbabwe Department of Museums and Monuments located in the west of the national park, north of the game park on the Kezi-

road. The frieze includes elephants, giraffes, warthogs, tsessebe and mongoose.Zimbabwe's cities
Zimupdate.com
''Inanke Cave'' has the most extensive paintings, located in a remote cave accessible by a three-hour hike from Toghwana Dam. Along the route of the hike is an

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...

furnace.

''Nswatugi Cave'' contains beautiful friezes of giraffes, elephants and kudu. Access is from Circular Drive, west of Maleme Dam. A human skeleton was found here dating 42000 BC belonged to Middle Stone Age. '' Pomongwe Cave'', near Maleme Dam, was damaged by a preservation attempt in 1965, where linseed oil was applied to the paintings. Archaeological digs within and downslope of the cave revealed 39,032 stone tools, several hearths, with the main fire-making areas were in the centre of the cave floor. Bone fragments showed that

formed a major part of the meat component of the diet of early human inhabitants of the cave, which also included

tortoise Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like oth ...

baboons Baboons are primates comprising the genus ''Papio'', one of the 23 genera of Old World monkeys. There are six species of baboon: the hamadryas baboon, the Guinea baboon, the olive baboon, the yellow baboon, the Kinda baboon and the chacma b ...

and larger game animals. The oldest material on the site is probably pre-

. ''White Rhino Shelter'' is a small site near Gordon Park, on the main tarred road through the park. The frieze includes the outline of large rhinos, which is said to have inspired the re-introduction of the species in the 1960s. The grandeur and stillness of the hills has contributed to their hallowed reputation, especially to the Shona and

Ndebele Ndebele may refer to: *Southern Ndebele people, located in South Africa *Northern Ndebele people, located in Zimbabwe and Botswana Languages * Southern Ndebele language, the language of the South Ndebele * Northern Ndebele language, the language ...

people. Many rituals and other religious activities are performed in the hills. Before the colonial era, it was the headquarters of the spiritualist oracle, the Mlimo. The hills were the scene of the famous

indaba An indaba (; ) is an important conference held by the izinDuna (principal men) of the Zulu and Xhosa peoples of South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bo ...

between white settlers and

leaders in 1896—the Second Matabele War, known in Zimbabwe as the First

Chimurenga ''Chimurenga'' is a word in the Shona language. The Ndebele equivalent, though not as widely used since the majority of Zimbabweans are Shona speaking, is ''Umvukela'', meaning "revolutionary struggle" or uprising. In specific historical terms ...

—which ended with the assassination of the Mlimo by

Frederick Russell Burnham Frederick Russell Burnham DSO (May 11, 1861 – September 1, 1947) was an American scout and world-traveling adventurer. He is known for his service to the British South Africa Company and to the British Army in colonial Africa, and for teach ...

, the American scout, in one of the Matobo caves. Upon learning of the death of the Mlimo,

boldly walked alone and unarmed into this Ndebele stronghold and persuaded the

impi is a Zulu word meaning war or combat and by association any body of men gathered for war, for example is a term denoting an army. were formed from regiments () from (large militarised homesteads). In English is often used to refer to a ...

to lay down their arms. During the indaba it was also in these hills that

Robert Baden-Powell Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, ( ; (Commonly pronounced by others as ) 22 February 1857 – 8 January 1941) was a British Army officer, writer, founder and first Chief Scout of the wor ...

, the ''Founder of Scouting'', first learned

woodcraft The term woodcraft — or woodlore — denotes bushcraft skills and experience in matters relating to living and thriving in the woods—such as hunting, fishing, and camping—whether on a short- or long-term basis. Traditionally, woodcraft p ...

, the fundamentals of

scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth Social movement, movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hik ...

, from Burnham. Today much of the pottery and artifacts found on cave floors and most of the clay grain bins in the hills are remnants from the 1896 rebellion era. There are other reminders too - bronze plaques dotting the area mark the sites of armed forts or brief skirmishes. Shangani-memorial-panel-rho

Cecil Rhodes, Leander Starr Jameson, and several other leading early white settlers, including Allan Wilson and all the members of the

Shangani Patrol The Shangani Patrol (or Wilson's Patrol) was a 34-soldier unit of the British South Africa Company that in 1893 was ambushed and annihilated by more than 3,000 Matabele warriors in pre-Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), during the First Matab ...

killed in the

First Matabele War The First Matabele War was fought between 1893 and 1894 in modern-day Zimbabwe. It pitted the British South Africa Company against the Ndebele (Matabele) Kingdom. Lobengula, king of the Ndebele, had tried to avoid outright war with the compa ...

, are buried on the summit of Malindidzimu, the 'hill of the spirits' -- this is a great source of controversy in modern Zimbabwe as this is considered a sacred place by nationalists and indigenous groups. This mount is also referred to as the World’s View. (Not to be confused with the

World's View, Nyanga World's View is a spectacular vista on the escarpment of the Nyanga Downs plateau in the Eastern Highlands mountain range, just north of Nyanga, in eastern Zimbabwe. It is situated at an altitude of with a drop to the plain below on the western s ...

Mzilikazi Mzilikazi Moselekatse, Khumalo ( 1790 – 9 September 1868) was a Southern African king who founded the Mthwakazi Kingdom now known as Matebeleland, in Zimbabwe. His name means "the great river of blood". He was born the son of Mashobane kaMan ...

is also buried at Matopos Hill. A memorial shrine, erected by the

Memorable Order of Tin Hats The Memorable Order of Tin Hats (M.O.T.H.) was founded in 1927 by Charles Evenden as a brotherhood of South African former front-line soldiers. The ideal is to help comrades in need, either financially or physically; and to remember all service ...

(MOTH), an organization that seeks to commemorate the sacrifice of Rhodesian servicemen and women during World War One and World War Two, can be accessed in the Park.

Accommodation and camping

Maleme Camp

This is the main camp in the centre of the park, and hosts the park headquarters. All accommodation is self-catering. There are eighteen lodges and six chalets, the former fully equipped and the latter with communal ablutions and without crockery or cutlery. Three of the lodges, Imbila, Black Eagle and Fish Eagle, have fantastic views over the Maleme Gorge. Imbila Lodge offers a higher standard of luxury with ensuite bathrooms and teak furniture.''Matobo National Park'
Africa-Onweb
. Camping and caravan sites are situated along the eastern shores of Maleme Dam.

Mtsheleli Camp

Located in the south, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.

Mwesilume Camp

Located on Circular Drive, west of Maleme Dam, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.

Toghwana Camp

Located in the east, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.

Arboretum Camp

Located in the west of Lake Matopos Recreational Park, near the Hazelside Office, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.

Sandy Spruit Camp

Located in the east of Lake Matopos Recreational Park, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.

Lake Matopos Camp

Located in the north of Lake Matopos Recreational Park, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.

Privately operated camps and sites

The Boy Scouts Association of Zimbabwe The Scout Association of Zimbabwe is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. Scouting in Zimbabwe shares history with The Scout Association of Malawi, Malaŵi and Zambia, with which it was linked for decades. Birthplace of Scout ...

operates a camp called Gordon Park, in the north of the Mtsheleli Valley. Gordon Park is a 115 ha lease from the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and is maintained as far as possible close to natural conditions. In addition to camping sites for Scout Troops there is a small cottage. The Girl Guides Association of Zimbabwe maintains a camp site at Rowallan Park, in the north of the Mtsheleli Valley. Big Cave Camp is a privately owned camp, bordering the Matobo National Park. The Camp offers four star accommodation in seven granite under thatch lodges and separate camping facilities elsewhere on the property. Activities on offer include game drives, game walks, bird watching, tours to famous rock art galleries, as well as tours to Rhodes Grave. The Big Cave property is approximately , and is ideal for walking and birdwatching. Facilities include a natural rock pool for swimming, the "Leopards Lair" bar and dining area which incorporates a huge granite boulder into the building, as well as separate library area. Camp Amalinda and Matobo Ingwe Lodge are commercial lodges.

Tourism

Access

By road from

: Take Robert Mugabe Way in the city centre; this turns into Matopos Road which continues south some 30 km to the park boundary. This is a two-lane tarred road. A single lane tarred road continues to Maleme Dam and Rest Camp. The remaining roads in the park are gravel or earth, but suitable for most vehicles. However, access to Toghwana Dam during the rainy season may require four wheel drive. The park can also be reached from

Gwanda Gwanda is a town in Zimbabwe. It is the capital of the province of Matabeleland South, one of the ten administrative provinces in the country. It is also the district capital of Gwanda District, one of the seven administrative districts in ...

: taking the Thuli-Makwe road towards Kezi and turning north on the main Kezi-Bulawayo road.

Game viewing

Some game can be seen throughout the park, with regular sightings of white rhino, sable antelope and impala. However, the best viewing is to be had in the 105 km² Game Park, in the west of the national park. The game park, also known as Whovi or Hove Wild Area was established with animals translocated from the border areas of Hwange National Park. It has been restocked with white and black rhinos. Other animals to be seen include sable antelope,

and

. On rare occasion in the late afternoon to early evening visitors, can be lucky enough to spot

, with many nights being disturbed by the ruckus of baboons screaming due to leopard attacks. There are two game viewing hides.

Hiking

With its scenery, climate and safe environment, Matobo has a number of hiking trails. Shorter hikes and walks include: * Lakeside walk, Maleme Dam, from Fish Eagle lodge * Mount Pomongwe, near Maleme Camp * Maleme Camp to Pomongwe Cave

s''Matobo National Park'' Undated map, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Longer hikes include: * Climbing mount Shumbashawa, near Gordon Park * Climbing Nyahwe mountain * Hike from Toghwana Dam to Inanke Cave and

s. Accompanied hikes, with an armed game scout are available from Maleme Rest Camp

Running

The ''33 miler road race'' is run annually in the park.

Trail riding

Supervised horse trails are arranged by the Parks and Wildlife staff. There are two routes: * From Maleme Camp and visiting scenic locations in the Maleme valley and environs. * From Whitewater Office into the game park for game viewing.

Fishing

The many

dams A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

in the park allow for pleasant fishing, notably for ''Tilapia'' and bass. Bass were stocked into seven of the parks dams from the research station at Maleme Dam. The park entry fee includes a fishing license.

Boating

Boating is possible on the larger

, such as Maleme, Mtshelele, Toghwana and Lake Matopos. Privately owned boats are permitted subject to approval of the parks' officials.

In popular culture

A Zimbabwean cheese has been named ''Matopos'', after the hills. The name of the park has been used twice in films: According to director Stéphanie Machuret, the title and landscape in her 2007 film ''Matopos'', about a traditional healer, were inspired by the park.Matopos, listing at Internet movie database
/ref> The name was also used for the fictional Democratic Republic of Matobo in the film '' The Interpreter''.

References

External links

Parks and Wildlife Management Authority

Matobo Conservation Society
{{authority control National parks of Zimbabwe Bornhardts World Heritage Sites in Zimbabwe Prehistoric Africa Geography of Matabeleland South Province Tourist attractions in Matabeleland South Province 1926 establishments in Southern Rhodesia Protected areas established in 1926 Archaeology of Eastern Africa Archaeological sites in Zimbabwe