The Matobo National Park is part of the Matobo or Matopos Hills, a region of granite hills and wooded valleys located about 35 kilometers (22 miles) south of Bulawayo, in southern Zimbabwe. These hills formed over 2 billion years ago when granite was pushed to the surface. Over time, erosion created smooth, rounded rock formations and broken hills covered with boulders and thick vegetation. The name "Matobo" comes from the Lozwi people. Another tradition says that when King Mzilikazi Khumalo heard the local people call the large granite domes "madombo," he jokingly suggested they be called "matobo," a play on words in the Isindebele language meaning "bald heads."
The Matobo Hills cover an area of about 3,100 square kilometers (1,200 square miles), with 424 square kilometers (164 square miles) designated as the national park. The rest of the area is mostly communal land and a small amount of farmland. The park lies along the valleys of the Thuli, Mtshelele, Maleme, and Mpopoma rivers. A portion of the park is a 100-square-kilometer (39-square-mile) game reserve, where animals such as white rhinoceroses live. The highest point in the hills is Gulati, a hilltop located just outside the northeastern edge of the park, at an elevation of 1,549 meters (5,082 feet).
Administratively, the Matobo National Park includes the Lake Matopos Recreational Park, which surrounds areas like Hazelside, Sandy Spruit, and Lake Matopos. The park is located within the southern Africa bushveld ecoregion, a specific area known for its unique plant and animal life.
History
The national park is the oldest in Zimbabwe. It was created in 1926 as Rhodes Matopos National Park, a gift from Cecil Rhodes. The park originally covered more land to the south and east than it does today. These areas were later changed to allow for farming and living spaces through an agreement between the colonial government and local communities, forming the Khumalo and Matobo Communal Lands. The park later expanded when it added the World's View and Hazelside farms to the north.
The current name, Matobo, matches how the local people traditionally say the name of the area.
The Matobo Hills were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. This area has many different types of rock formations that rise above a large area of granite found across much of Zimbabwe.
Features
Matobo National Park has many different animals, including 175 types of birds, 88 types of mammals, 39 types of snakes, and 16 types of fish. Animals in the park include white rhinos, sable antelopes, impala, and leopards. The park has the highest number of leopards in the world because there are many hyrax, which make up half of their food. The western part of the park was restocked with white and black rhinos. White rhinos came from KwaZulu-Natal in the 1960s, and black rhinos came from the Zambezi Valley in the 1990s. This area is protected to help save rhinos, hyenas, hippos, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, and ostriches.
Matobo National Park has the highest number of black eagles in the world, including their nesting pairs.
A research center has studied water and its living things at the Maleme Dam since 1950. It has looked at species like the yellow-fish, called Barbus mattozi.
The Matobo Hills have many types of plants, with more than 200 kinds of trees recorded in the park, such as mountain acacia, wild pear, and paperbark acacia. There are also many aloes, wild herbs, and over 100 types of grass. Many rare plants that are only found in this area have been recorded.
Matobo National Park has many types of fungi. These organisms help break down materials, recycle nutrients, and help plants grow by forming partnerships with them. Fungi improve soil quality and help keep the park’s granite landscape stable. They also provide food for insects and small mammals, adding to the park’s variety of life. Some fungi are used by local people for food, showing their importance to both the environment and culture.
The Matobo Hills are made of granite, forming the Matopos Batholith. Over time, the granite breaks into unusual shapes, like the balancing rocks called Mother and Child Kopje. Between the granite mountains are narrow valleys that often have water, called dambos or vleis. These valleys are where the Maleme, Mpopoma, and Mtsheleli rivers begin, and the Thuli River starts just east of the park.
San (Bushmen) people lived in the hills about 2,000 years ago, leaving many rock paintings. There are over 3,000 registered rock art sites, with the most paintings made between 320 and 500 C.E. Clay ovens and other ancient items have been found in caves and crevices, with some dating back to the Pre-Middle Stone Age, around 300,000 years ago.
Bambata Cave is a major archaeological site in the west of the park, near the Kezi-Bulawayo road. The paintings show elephants, giraffes, warthogs, tsessebe, and mongoose.
Inanke Cave has the most extensive paintings, found in a remote cave that requires a three-hour hike from Toghwana Dam. Along the hike, an Iron Age furnace is visible.
Nswatugi Cave has paintings of giraffes, elephants, and kudu. It is accessible from Circular Drive, west of Maleme Dam. A human skeleton found here dates back to 42,000 B.C. and belongs to the Middle Stone Age.
Pomongwe Cave, near Maleme Dam, was damaged in 1965 when linseed oil was used on the paintings. Archaeological digs near the cave found 39,032 stone tools, several hearths, and evidence that early people ate hyrax, tortoises, baboons, and larger animals. The oldest items found may be from the Pre-Middle Stone Age.
White Rhino Shelter is a small site near Gordon Park, on the main road through the park. The paintings show rhinos, which inspired the reintroduction of the species in the 1960s.
The beauty and quiet of the hills have made them important to the Shona and Ndebele people. Many rituals and religious activities take place there. Before colonial times, the spiritual leader Mlimo lived in the hills.
The hills were the site of a famous meeting in 1896 between white settlers and Ndebele leaders during the Second Matabele War, known in Zimbabwe as the First Chimurenga. The war ended when Mlimo was killed by Frederick Russell Burnham, an American scout, in a Matobo cave. Cecil Rhodes then walked alone into the Ndebele stronghold and convinced the soldiers to surrender. Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, learned the basics of scouting from Burnham in the hills. Today, pottery and artifacts from the 1896 rebellion remain in the caves, along with bronze plaques marking battle sites.
Cecil Rhodes, Leander Starr Jameson, and other early settlers, including Allan Wilson and members of the Shangani Patrol killed in the First Matabele War, are buried on Malindidzimu, a hill called the "hill of the spirits." This is a sacred place for many people in Zimbabwe. Mzilikazi, a leader of the Ndebele people, is also buried at Matopos Hill.
A memorial shrine built by the Memorable Order of Tin Hats (MOTH) honors soldiers who fought in World War One and World War Two. It is located in the park.
Accommodation and camping
This is the main camp in the center of the park and has the park headquarters. All accommodations are self-catering, meaning guests prepare their own meals. There are eighteen lodges and six chalets. The lodges are fully equipped, while the chalets have shared bathrooms and do not include plates, bowls, or utensils. Three lodges—Imbila, Black Eagle, and Fish Eagle—offer views of the Maleme Gorge. Imbila Lodge has a higher level of comfort, including private bathrooms and furniture made of teak wood. Camping and caravan sites are located along the eastern side of Maleme Dam.
This camp is located in the south and offers camping and caravan sites.
This camp is located on Circular Drive, west of Maleme Dam, and offers camping and caravan sites.
This camp is located in the east and offers camping and caravan sites.
This camp is located in the west of Lake Matopos Recreational Park, near the Hazelside Office, and offers camping and caravan sites.
This camp is located in the east of Lake Matopos Recreational Park and offers camping and caravan sites.
This camp is located in the north of Lake Matopos Recreational Park and offers camping and caravan sites.
The Boy Scouts Association of Zimbabwe operates a camp called Gordon Park, located in the north of the Mtsheleli Valley. Gordon Park is a 115-hectare area leased from the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. It is kept as close to natural conditions as possible. In addition to camping sites for Scout Troops, there is a small cottage. The Girl Guides Association of Zimbabwe maintains a campsite at Rowallan Park, located in the north of the Mtsheleli Valley.
Big Cave Camp is a privately owned camp that borders the Matobo National Park.
Camp Amalinda and Matobo Ingwe Lodge are commercial lodges.
Tourism
By road from Bulawayo: Begin on Robert Mugabe Way in the city center. This road becomes Matopos Road and continues south for about 30 kilometers to the park boundary. Matopos Road is a two-lane paved road. A single-lane paved road continues to Maleme Dam and Rest Camp. The other roads in the park are gravel or dirt, but most vehicles can travel them safely. However, reaching Toghwana Dam during the rainy season may require a four-wheel drive vehicle.
The park can also be reached from Gwanda by taking the Thuli-Makwe Road toward Kezi and then turning north onto the main Kezi-Bulawayo Road.
Wild animals can be seen throughout the park, including white rhino, sable antelope, and impala. The best place to see wildlife is in the 105 km Game Park, located in the western part of the national park. This area, also called Whovi or Hove Wild Area, was created by moving animals from Hwange National Park. It has been restocked with white and black rhinos. Other animals found here include sable antelope, giraffe, zebra, impala, wildebeest, and ostrich. On rare occasions in the late afternoon or early evening, visitors may see a leopard. Some nights are noisy because baboons scream after leopard attacks. There are two game viewing hides in the park.
Matobo offers hiking trails due to its scenery, climate, and safe environment. Shorter walks include:
• Lakeside walk at Maleme Dam, starting from Fish Eagle Lodge
• Mount Pomongwe, near Maleme Camp
• A walk from Maleme Camp to Pomongwe Cave rock paintings
Longer hikes include:
• Climbing Mount Shumbashawa, near Gordon Park
• Climbing Nyahwe Mountain
• A hike from Toghwana Dam to Inanke Cave and rock paintings
Guided hikes with an armed game scout are available from Maleme Rest Camp.
A 33-mile road race is held annually in the park.
Supervised horse trails are arranged by Parks and Wildlife staff. The routes include:
• A trail starting at Maleme Camp and visiting scenic spots in the Maleme Valley and surrounding areas
• A trail starting at Whitewater Office and entering the game park for wildlife viewing
The many dams in the park provide good fishing opportunities, especially for Tilapia and bass. Bass were added to seven of the park’s dams from the research station at Maleme Dam. A fishing license is included in the park entry fee.
Boating is possible on larger dams, such as Maleme, Mtshelele, Toghwana, and Lake Matopos. Privately owned boats are allowed only with approval from park officials.
In popular culture
A type of cheese from Zimbabwe is called Matopos, which is named after the Matopos Hills.
The name of the park has appeared in two movies. In 2007, director Stéphanie Machuret used the name Matopos for her film, which tells the story of a traditional healer. The film's title and setting were inspired by the park. The name Matopos was also used in the movie The Interpreter, where it was the name of a fictional country called the Democratic Republic of Matobo.