Letsitele and surrounds

The Letsitele area is rich in its cultural history and has many attractions for the tourist to observe while passing through. At Letsitele, you will cross the Letaba River which provides water to one of the largest citrus areas in our country.

The town of Letsitele is named after the Letsitele River.

The word ‘Letsitele’ is derived from a Northern Sotho word meaning ‘valley of the dead’, which was relevant in the days when malaria was a deadly threat in the valley. Today, malaria is no longer a problem due to Dr Siegfried Annecke’s major campaign to bring an end to this dreadful disease.

The name of the Letaba River was derived from the African word ‘Lehlaba’, which means Sandy River.

Sightseeing:

Kaross Embroidery: Beauty, empo-werment, embroidery… in 1989 Irma van Rooyen, the wife of a citrus farms in the Letsitele area, started a small project to provide a modest living for a few of the worker’s wives.

Today, this project provides a good income to no fewer than nine hundred Tsonga and Shangaan women.

The project started when Irma drew a few designs on fabric and provided embroidery yarns, encouraging women to have a free hand in interpreting her designs. No deadlines or expectations were set and the women were left to do the work in their own time and in their own environment. In just a short time, a miracle happened. Soon, dormant artistic skills and a wealth of local knowledge began to emerge to the extent that the studio in use proved to be far too small for the Kaross project. For more information call: 082 802 3682

ATKV Eiland Spa: The original Crown Grant for the farm Eiland was issued in the early 1900’s to a Mr. ET Elliot who was the first man to settle on Eiland.

Elliot built the first brick house and dip near the Black Hills. In 1924, Elliot disposed of the farm to George St Leger Devenish for £400 without knowing about the hot spring on the farm. George was famous as a Springbok rugby player but did not live on the farm. His nephew, Frank, farmed there from 1924-1938.

This holiday resort, which is situated within the Hans Merensky Nature Reserve, currently provides much more than a health hydro. It has 103 fully air-conditioned and fully equipped, 3-star graded chalets more than 250 camping sites for caravans and campers, the hot and cold swimming pools and super tube provide entertainment for young and old. For the sporting enthusiasts there are tennis courts, a bowling green, golf driving range, a gym and many other facilities available. In addition, for the more adventurous people, Eiland Health Spa offers horseback riding, quad bikes, bird watching and walking trails. If the need arises for a conference in the Limpopo Province, Eiland ATKV Resort has many venues that will suit a variety of needs.

For more information contact: 015 386 8667

Hans Merensky Nature Reserve:The origin of the reserve dates back to 1950, although the land was only proclaimed a nature reserve in 1954. It is named after the famous Dr Hans Merensky because of his generous gesture of donating a fully equipped borehole to the Department when the land was purchased. The size of the reserve is 5018ha and it has many hiking trails as well as bird watching and game viewing. A large variety of animals roam the reserve although the actual number of each species is low. For the bird watcher, there are nearly 300 different species recorded in the reserve.

For more information contact: 015 386 8632

Tsonga Kraal Museum: The Tsonga Kraal Museum as it is today is an attempt to show as many of the traditional building styles of the North Tsonga as possible. The layout of the kraal represents the homestead of the Chief with eight wives. The arrangement of the huts follows a set pattern but many variations are found in the area.

The Kraal was built exclusively from traditional materials. The framework of most of the huts is made of mopane poles bound together with bark from the mopane tree. The walls and floors are made of clay taken from anthills. The paint to decorate the walls is mixed from different coloured soils. Several of the huts, which are open to the public, have been equipped with objects used traditionally in everyday life. Local craftsmen make traditional pottery, woodwork, basketry and salt. Thus an attempt is made to give the visitor a glimpse of the culture and lifestyle of the Tsonga people. Guided tours are presented and can also be arranged by appointment.

For more information contact: 015 386 8727

Riverside Wildlife Rehabilitation and Environmental Education Centre

This is a rehabilitation centre in its own right. It is the only centre specialising in the rehabilitation of humanised Vervet monkeys. Other species are also rehabilitated to wildlife status so they can be released back to nature.

The RWREC is not only a refuge for animals and plant life but also a haven for people. Youngsters can learn about the effect humans have on the environment and how to get involved in conservation.

The RWEC provides environmental educational programmes to individuals and groups. Groups are accommodated in bush camps where clear skies and fresh air can be appreciated. For more information contact: 083 725 9775