Musina
Musina

MUSINA

Musina is the northern most town in South Africa and is situated only 16km from Beitbridge on the Zimbabwean border. This copper mining region, where copper was first discovered and mined in prehistoric times by the Musina tribe, is known for its large, magnificent baobab trees.  A baobab tree on the road to Malaladrift is known as a ‘trunk’ because of the shape of one of its branches. The largest baobab tree in the district on a farm named Nonsiang, has a girth of 19m and is 26m tall. During November the blooming impala lily and flamboyant tree turn Musina into a fairyland of color. The impala Lily park in the center of town is spectacularly beautiful in spring.

The name Musina can be traced back to prehistoric times when African miners on their quest for iron first discovered copper reserves in the area. However, the miners of the disregarded this soft metal as inferior hence calling the area ‘Musina’ meaning the spoiler. The tribe then became known as the Musina tribe . in 1901 the last known surviving member of the tribe, Magushi, led colonial prospectors to the area and four years later in 1905 Mesina was founded as a copper mining town. In 2002 the name was officially changed back to to Musina. Today Musina is a bustling town plays a pivotal in the mineral and diamond mining industry in South Africa. Iron ore, coal, magnetite, granite, graphite, asbestos and semi- precious stones are still mined in the area. Musina is an important trading center for South Africans and Zimbabweans alike and a base for the hunting and eco- tourism sector.

10km South of Musina is the entrance to the Musina Nature Reserve . Many old baobab trees, the oldest dated rock in the world and some endangered antelope can be found here

20km West of Musina on the R572 to pontdrift  you will find the Bolayi execution rock, where the Musina chiefs had their prisoners executed. Criminals were executed at Klein Bolayi on the side of the road.  The Klein Bolayi rock is one of the largest single granite outcrops in the world. The rock fog, over 100 years old, growing out of the rock is one of nature’s many wonder’s.