Thohoyandou, Soutpansberg, Limpopo
Thohoyandou is the Venda Tribe’s capital in the Limpopo Province, formerly the Capital of the independant Venda homeland. Named after one of the Kings of the Venda, King Thohoyandou, who ruled the Vhavenda (Venda) Kingdom from the 1690’s to the 1720’s, Thohoyandou is a large town with full administrative and social infrastructure and full of the fruits of the fertile agricultural lands around it, arts and crafts and the vibrancy and beauty of the proud, colourful culture and heritage of the Venda people.
Tucked into the green foothills of the Soutpansberg mountain range, for which the Soutpansberg Region in Limpopo is named, Thohoyandou offers shopping from street traders as well as ‘formal’ shopping, home stays, Venda arts, crafts and fabrics, entertainment and learning some Venda words from the local people – known for their friendliness as much as they for their rich and ancient history, the pythin dance that celebrates the revered snake, and their myths and legends – or ‘fairytales’.
The town also has a bustling student life as it is the location of the Venda University, and the Venda Sports Stadium provides the infrastructure for a thriving sport traditions, including that for ‘soccer’.
The area around Thohoyandou offers a number of attractions, and the Pafuri Gate to the Kruger National Park – its northernmost gate – is a 2 hour drive away on the R524.
You will find another notable attraction at Pafuri, one which is close to the heart of the Venda. The ruins of the ancient city of Thulamela, which means ‘Place of Birth’ inVenda, date to the 13th century, when the ancestors of todays Venda people moved south from what is now Zimbabwe.
Attractions near Thohoyandou include the Phiphidi Falls and the Thathe Vondo Forest with the Holy Forest and the sacred Lake Fundudzi. Further north attractions include Mapangubwe.
Getting there: Thohoyandou lies 74km east of Louis Trichardt on the R524.
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