Musina Hotels

Introducing Musina

The town of Musina in the Limpopo Province is the most northerly town in South Africa.  Musina is situated in close proximity to the Great North Road which runs from Johannesburg via Pretoria to Polokwane and onwards to Musina and the border post to Zimbabwe.  Only 15 kilometres north of Musina / Messina is the Beitbridge Border Post which forms the boundary with Zimbabwe. This link with northern Africa is one of the busiest roads in the world and certainly the busiest in Africa.  The copper fields in the Limpopo Province led to the establishment and growth of Musina / Messina.

In Prehistoric times the Musina tribe discovered the copper and called it 'musina' which can be translated as 'spoiler'.  The Musina tribe knew copper in the ore weakened the iron melted from it, hence the name. It was rediscovered in the 20th century by prospectors. Today Musina / Messina in South Africa's Limpopo Province is the centre of a large iron ore, semi-precious stone, diamond, coal, graphite, magnetite and copper mining region.

The Dingola/Bulai Execution Rocks are located about 20km west of Musina / Messina.  The Dingola/Bulai Execution Rocks mark the historic site which was used for the execution of major offenders by the Musina chiefs. The smaller offenders were executed on Small Bulai. This hot and dry region of South Africa is characterised by low shrubs and thorn trees which dominate the landscape.  The Limpopo River flows with water on average only once in seven years, even though the countryside is abundant with citrus, mango, tomato and date plantations.

The magnificent Limpopo Valley National Park is South Africa's northernmost national park which nestles around the historical archaeological site of Mapungubwe.  The Limpopo Valley National Park is home to the fauna and flora of the Shasi area. The area surrounding Musina / Messina features several other attractive national parks including the Impala Lily Park which is known for the abundance of the Great Baobab tree.  In front of Musina's Civic Centre, one can find the Zeederberg's Mail Coach which stands silently as a historic reminder of the bonds between South Africa and the old Rhodesia which is Zimbabwe.

Limpopo's town of Musina / Messina offers visitors a variety of accommodation choices ranging from Game Lodges and Hunting Lodges which offer photographic safaris as well as hunting safaris to a wide range of B&B accommodation, guest houses and backpackers.  The Musina experimental farm is the site of a natural wonder called the Matakwe. It’s a single rock of bulai granite measuring 38 hectares in size . The Musina Nature Reserve, which today preserves over a hundred baobab specimens, is home to one of the world’s oldest datable rocks and is a sanctuary for a number of game and bird species.

Attractions in or near Musina / Messina, Limpopo Province (South Africa):

• Blouberg Nature Reserve
• Langjan Nature Reserve
• Mapungubwe National Park
• Nwanedi Game Reserve
• Soutpansberg Conservancy