Pocket guide KNP final

Masiterata
This name has another interesting background and can be

said to be Tsonga-afrikaans. It was the name of a person
who lived here and is a Tsonga corruption of the Afrikaans
word “magistraat” which means “magistrate” in English.

Masorini
The Masorini ruins on the way to Phalaborwa gate is an
important archeological site. It dates back to the Stone Age
and was used for forging metal until the 19th century.

Matekevhele
This Venda word translates into “the place of abundant
maize”.

Mathekenyane
The Tsonga word for the jigger flea, Tunga penetrans. This
horrid insect was introduced to Africa from tropical America
in the 17th century and has spread fast within Africa’s
tropical and sub-tropical regions. After fertilisation, the
female flea burrows into the skin of her host, generally in
tender areas that are easily penetrated, such as between the
toes or under the toe-nails. As the eggs develop, she swells
to the size of a pea, before the eggs hatch through the hole
she came in from. The wounds inflicted by these fleas are
often infected and very painful. Should the body of the flea
be broken under the skin, it will result in severe ulceration
and complications.

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In other parts of Africa, it is quite common to see people with
amputated toes as a result of gangrene, stemming from this
invasive insect.

Mathikithi
A sandstone koppie with a Tsonga name of a person who
lived there. This firstname has no particular meaning.

Matjulu
This spruit is a tributary to the crocodile river and the name
in Sotho would translate to “Place of the Zula’s”.
This translation is from the original Sotho language, during
the reign of Sobhuza I in 1815 to 1836. The Bapedi, who
used to live in this area, called the Swazi’s “Zula’s”.

Matlhari
This granite koppie lends its name from the Tsonga word for
weapons, which in this case would mean spears. Many
spearheads made of metal were manufactured from early
times at Masorini, not too far from here.

In the Setswana language, “matlhare” would also refer to
some sense of defence, as in the case of thin branches or
twigs, used in erecting a fence around a “kraal” (village) to
guard against carnivores and other tribes.

Matshitshindzudzi
A tributary spruit to the Luvuvhu river and named after the
wild date palm as the Venda people would refer to it.

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The wild date palm, Phoenix reclinata is a picturesque tree,
sometimes cultivated and the hardiest of its’ family in Africa.
It can be seen as a many-stemmed tree of up to 8 metres.

The fruit is date-like, yellow when ripe and eaten by birds
and mammals. The leaves are eaten by elephants. The sap
of the tree is tapped by Africans and used for the making of
alcoholic drinks, the leaf midribs and stem fibres are used
for the making of mats and brooms and the soft heart of the
tree can be eaten.

Matukwale
Another tributary spruit of the Luvuvhu, with a Tsonga
firstname of no particular meaning.

Matupa
This granite koppie has been given a Sotho name of a
person who lived here with no particular translateable
meaning to his firstname.

Mavumbye
A tributary of the Gudzani river, approximately 13 kilometres
north of Satara, meaning “place where clay pots were made”
in Shangaan, after the fact that there were good quality clay
banks for African ceramicists to gouge clay from.

Another depiction is from the Tsonga word “vumbye”, which
means “lewdness” or “prostitution”.

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Mawawi
This Venda word originates from “wawe”, which means “his”.
Used with the prefix, it would translate into “his place”. This
name was given to a permanent waterhole in the Xixa spruit.
As a matter of interest, the Tsonga translation could be
described as the following:
Mawa= “dry leaves and twigs fallen from trees” and wi= “kill
with single blow from stick”.

(A word from the author: “I would prefer the latter
explanation, as, should I find myself in a bit of a bad spot
with the lethal possibilities of the greater carnivores in the
park, I would most probably pick up a stick to hit whatever
comes my way!”)

Mazanje
A Tsonga name of a person with no particular meaning.

Mazithi
A Tsonga name of a person with no particular meaning. In
Zulu, we find the name “Mazithibe” which describes a
teetotaller.

Mestel
Another corruption of an African versus European language.
This would be a “Swati-english” word from the English
“mister” or “master”.

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It often happens that, with African people, the English, or
other European languages are tongue twisters to their native
tones and that corruptions will occur. This name was given
to a spruit, tributarial to the N’waswitsontso river.

Metsimetsi
A permanent picket was erected in the days of James
Stevenson-Hamilton at this site. Wolhuter was on his way
there when he was attacked by a lion. For full story, refer to
Wolhuter. The word is, once again, a person’s name with no
particular meaning, which hails from the Sotho language.
An interesting African explanation would be from the
Setswana linguism;

“metse” = much water, “metsi”= plural of “motsi” meaning
“days”. This could depict an area where lots of rain fell in a
short time.

Mhala
In Setswana, the word would mean “give him food!” This
could reflect on the other African languages that could be
used to explain this placename:
The shortened version of “Mhalamhala”, which is the
Shangaan word for a sable antelope (Hippotragus niger).
The ancient Tsonga refers to “Mhala” as the Impala
(Aepyceros melampus melampus) the bread of the
carnivores.

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There are not many similarities between these two
antelope, except some habitational, and seasonal dietary
sharing. Regardless of those facts, this name was given to a
spruit, tributary to the Rio Bondzweni river in Mozambique.
Interestingly, in modern South African slang, to want
something for mhala would mean you want something for
free.

Mhisanamond
This borehole was given this name, mostly because of its’
location opposite the mouth of the Mishana spruit. Afrikaans:
-mond = mouth. “Mhisana” is the Tsonga word for the brown
hyaena (Hyaena brunnea). It is quite uncommon for the
brown hyaena to be seen in the KNP, as they are dwellers of
the more arid northwestern regions of South Africa.
It is possible that the area has been named after a stray
brownie, after a rare sighting. It is different in various ways
to the more common spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta). The
brown hyaena has pointed ears, shaggy long brown hair on
the body, with a pale mantle of long hair on its back and
shoulders and has striped legs. It lives in groups, but forages
alone. Litters of up to four are born at any time and are
cared for by the group. The spotted hyaena, on the other
hand, has short hair, rounded ears and is pale brown-grey
with dark brown spots.
They live and hunt in groups, but mostly scavenge other
predator’s prey. A litter of twins are born at any time and is
cared for by only the mother.

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Mhlupeka
A tributary of the Nwatimhiri river, the name meaning “the
troubled one” in Shangaan. It is unknown whether this name
was given due to the characteristics of this watercourse, or
to that of an individual, and has a similar meaning in Zulu,
being “the contrary/ cantankerous one”.

Middelvlei
The direct translation from Afrikaans would be “the centre
marsh”. A “vlei” is a wetland area which normally only fills up
in the rainy season. This borehole is in the centre of three
holes that was sunk alongside the Malopenyana spruit and
was named by Dr U de V Pienaar in 1974.

Milalani
This spruit is a tributary to the Tshutshe river and has a
Tsonga name which means “at the lala (ilala) palms”
(Hyphaene coriacea). This palm has a light coloured stem,
marked with the remains of old leaves and grows on sandy
areas, often on river banks. It has radiating leaves with small
flowers and pear-shaped fruit of up to six centimetres wide.
The fruit is eaten by a variety of animals, the leaves eaten
by elephants, and the sap tapped by Africans to make
alcoholic drinks. The leaves are also cut to weave baskets
and ornaments.

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Mingerhout
The Afrikaans name for African Teak or Matumi Breonadia
microcephala. This tree prefers riverbanks, grows up to 26
metres and is evergreen. The wood is light to dark, very
durable and oily of nature. Natives used it to carve spoons
from, as it does not easily absorb moisture and lasts longer
in use for cooking purposes. The Afrikaans word
“mingerhout” is believed to be a corruption of the Dutch word
translating to mixing stick.

Misumani
This hill is situated approximately 23 kilometres south-west
of Letaba rest camp and in Shangaan means “place where
Nsuma trees grow”. A tributary of the Olifants river close to
this hill also bears the same name. The Nsuma tree is better
known as the Black bitterberry (Strychnos potatorum).

There are about 200 species of Strychnos, of which nine are
found in Southern Africa. A group name often given to the
Southern African ones are “Monkey orange” or “Cricketball
tree” relating to the size and shape of the fruit, which are
often eaten by monkeys and native Africans alike.

Mitomeni
Once again, a tributary to one of the rivers, the Mbyamiti
river and from Shangaan, meaning “place of the Ntoma
trees”. It is interesting how the Shangaan used to have a
connotation with the trees surrounding a watercourse for
reference.

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The Ntoma tree is also better known as the
“Jakkalsbessie” or “Transvaal ebony”. See Jakkalsbessie
restcamp for a full description.

Mlaleni
A range of hills approximately 16 kilometres north-east of
Pretoriuskop, named by the Swazi tribe meaning “place of
palm trees”. A similar explanation is also given from the
original Sotho origin. Other African languages have similar
sounding descriptions of the Lala palm; Tsonga – ilala, Zulu
– iLala, Tswana – nnala, Venda – mulala, Swazi - Mlala.

Mlambane
This spruit is a tributary to the crocodile river and derives its
name from the Swati word: “Umlambongwane”, which
means “small river”.

Mlondozi
This Swati word means “perennial stream” and proves to be
descriptive of this tributary of the Sabie river.

Mondzweni
This borehole bears the Tsonga name for “at the Leadwood
tree”, as it most probably got sunk next to such a hardwood
(Combretum imberbe). The Leadwood tree is often found
along rivers and has its range from Zululand to the north and
heads off westwards to Namibia. The native Namibians
believed it to be the Ancestral Tree, from which humans,
livestock and wild animals originated.

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Mooigesig
This dam has an Afrikaans name to describe a pretty view.
Mooi =pretty/ fair
gesig =view/ face

Mooiplaas
An old game ranger post. The explanation of the Afrikaans
would be “pretty/ fair farm”.

Mopani
The latest rest camp in the KNP. Named after the Mopane
tree which is abundant in the area. Colophospermum
mopane is common in both the KNP as well as the Etosha
Pan in Namibia. This tree is favoured by elephants and
Mopane worms, the latter being a great source of protein for
Africans who also believe the tree attracts lightning. An
interesting feauture of this tree is that the wood can burn
fiercely while still green.

Mpanamana
A hill, as well as a tributary watercourse to the Crocodile
River bears the same name. The hill is situated some 14
kilometres north-east, and the tributary 8 kilometres
east-north-east of Crocodile Bridge. The name is of
Shangaan origin and means “dry land where no trees grow”.

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Mphongolo loop
The name is an adaption of the Swazi name of a former
Venda chief, “Mapongole” and is a tributary of the
Shingwedzi river.

Mpondo dam
This name is a corruption of the Afrikaans word “Pond”,
which refers to the monetary unit Pound (Sterling), used as
South African currency up and until 14/02/1961. South Africa
was seen as the world leader in decimalisation, as they were
the first to be successful in this conversion, followed by
Australia, exactly five years later on 14/02/1966.
Nieu-Zealand converted on 11/07/1967, Zambia 01/01/1968,
and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) on 17/02/1970.
These are only a few dates of interest, there are too many to
mention.

Mshatu
This hill bears the Tswana name for the Nyala tree
(Xantocercus zambesiaca). One of the giant trees of the
Lowveld, this beautiful evergreen with a crown of up to thirty
metres are mostly noted in the northern parts of the KNP.

Muhlambama- dvube
This spruit, a tributary to the Biyamiti, gets its name from the
Swati, “Place of bathing Zebras”. This would have referrence
to where Zebra roll in the dust, as they never bath or swim.

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Munywini
The word means “place where salt occurs” in Shangaan and
the watercourse is a tributary of the Nwaswitsontso river.
You will find it about 12 kilometres north-north-east of the
Lower Sabie rest camp.

Mutlumuvi
An interesting name, an adaption of the Sotho “motla-
omobe” by the Shangaan tribe. The explanation of the name
would be “dangerous when in flood” as per the original
Sotho. This watercourse is a tributary to the Nwendlamuhari
and can be found 21 kilometres north-north-east of Skukuza.

Muzandzeni
This picnic site was named by Ranger J. Kloppers and hails
its name from the Tsonga language, which translates to
“where the Tsessebe’s are”. Apparently he saw a small herd
of them at the time he was there.
The Tsessebe, (Damaliscus lunatus), are found in small
herds of five to ten, with a dominant territorial bull. They look
very similar to the Hartebeest, and is often referred to as the
“Bastard Hartebeest”. Horns occur on both sexes, spread
outward, then back and slightly upwards.

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Mvubu
This name is the shortened version of “iMvubu” which is the
Zulu word for Hippopotamus. The Hippo, (Hippopotamus
amphibius) is known as the animal which kills the most
humans compared to any other wild animal. This is due to
the fact that they are extremely aggressive and fast, contrary
to popular belief. They can travel at high speed over short
distances, regardless of their size and weight. Many an
African traveller, who after a long journey by foot, would lie
down in an animal trail in fear of snakes and insects, just to
be trampled by a hippo on its nocturnal search for food.

N`wamanzi
Shangaan for “place of the water”

N`wamatsatsa
This word is derived from the Tsonga word “tsatsa” which
translates as “to dress up in all one’s finest clothes and
accessories.”

N`wambu
The Tsonga word “N’wambu” is the name of the Lowveld
milkberry tree (Manilkara mochisia).

N`wamuriwa
“Place of the green melon”. This bitter melon is found in
most regions throughout South Africa, and especially in the
most arid regions.

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The Bushmen used to squeeze water from the fruit pulp and
store it in ostrich egg shells under the sand for future use on
long hunting trips.

N`wanetsi
“The reflection of moonlight or stars”. It is presumed that this
will refer to their reflection on a water source close to where
tribes used to stay. The Africans, like many other cultures
bear magical powers to the moon and stars. The Tsonga
word refers to a river with shiny or clear water. A similar
word in Shangaan refers to “small river”.

N`warihlangari
The name, which is derived from Tsonga, refers to a type of
marsh grass growing on the banks of this tributary to the
Mphongolo river. More specific, the Drop-seed grass,
(Sporobulos consimilis) is found mostly throughout the Park.

N`waswitshaka
Previous spelling of this word is N`waswitsake meaning “The
happy one”, a name given to an individual who always
smiled.

N`waswitsontso
A previous spelling also would be N`waswitsontse, meaning
“A trickle of water”.

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N`watimhiri
Shangaan for “Place of the Puff-adder”. The common or
African Puff-adder is a flat-headed, stout-bellied and
sluggish adder, widely distributed throughout South Africa,
where it is probably responsible for a greater mortality
among domestic stock and man than any other poisonous
snake.
Average length 90 cm, maximum 120cm. It is known not to
move out of your way when walking towards it. Its arrogance
may be the reason for its successful killing rate, as its
excellent camouflage hinders a person or animal from
spotting it until it is too late.

N`watin`wambu
This Tsonga word refers to the edible fruit of the “N’wambu”
tree, or Lowveld Milkberry.

N`watindlopfu
“Place of the big feet”, or as we know them, elephants. This
area has always been a favourite among elephants,as they
feel safe, have good grazing and enough water.

N`watinungu
This name is from the Tsonga language, meaning small river
of the porcupines. The porcupine, Hystrix africaeaustralis, is
the largest rodent in Africa. They normally take refuge in
caves, under rocky outcrops or loosely stacked rocks. The
black and white quills are distinctive and their only means of
defense.

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They are hunted by lion, leopard and hyena, and these
carnivores have to be crafty, not to be killed by the infection
of the quills after the kill.
Contrary to popular belief, the quills are not shot out to the
attacker, but only comes off easily once it penetrated the
offender. Porcupines are nocturnal, sometimes communal
with their sleeping habits, but forages alone or in pairs.

Nandzana
This borehole bears the Tsonga name for the caracal. This
wild cat, Felis caracal, is usually nocturnal and solitary. Their
distribution is far and wide and includes the whole of Africa,
Arabia as well as some areas in India and the Eastern
countries. They are also found where other wildlife had been
destroyed, but they are nowhere abundant.

Napi
This was the name of a person and is of Sotho origin.
There is no specific meaning.

Newu
This English corruption is of the original “Inhliziyo”, which
means “heart” in Zulu. This was the name of a person who
lived there.

Ngobeni
This waterhole, as well as borehole, is named after a person
and is of Tsonga origin.

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Ngodzi
This Tsonga word means “seedeater” and is not specific
enough to know to which bird it refers to.

Ngotso
This item is a small calabash that was used for storing fat or
for obtaining water. When used for storing fat, it was cut in
the shape of a bowl, and for fetching water, it often had a
handle of wood attached, resembling a soup-ladle. This
name is of Tsonga origin.

Ngwenyeni
Of Shangaan, as well as Nguni origin, the name is translated
as meaning “the place of the crocodile”. There are three
places bearing the same name; a tributary of the Letaba, 21
kilometres east-north-east of Malopeni, a hill 10 kilometres
east-north-east of Malopeni and a town on the Ngwenyeni
river, approximately 90 kilometres east of Barberton.

Nhlanganini
A corruption of the Shangaan word “nhlanganeni”, meaning
“place of the small reeds”.

Nhlanganzwani
From the Zulu words “Inhlanga izinzwani”, directly translating
into “reed toes”.

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Nhlanguleni
This name was given to a stream running through the
Western parts of Tshokwane and Satara regions. Named
after an elephant who lived to the age of 55 years to die a
natural death (1932 – 1987). He was the most mysterious,
although one of the prized and honoured members of the
tuskers of the KNP. The name is of Shangaan origin and
means “place where the nhlangu shrub grows”.

The same name has been given to two tributaries, one on
the Nwanedzi, 19 kilometres east of Satara, and the other on
the Mbhatsi, 19 kilometres north-east of Tshokwane.
The same word would have the meaning in Tsonga of “at
the magic guarri tree” (Euclea divinorum).

Nhlotini
This Tsonga word means “At the hunter’s place” and refers
to where hunters used to camp before the land was
proclaimed a National Park.

Nhlowa road
This road is named after the Nhlowa tributary to the Sabie
river. The word is Shangaan for “Marula juice” or
“unfermented marula liquor before it is diluted”. For more
information on the Marula tree, refer to Maroela.

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Nkaya
This is a corruption or possibly a combination of the Tsonga
word “nkayi” and the Zulu and Swazi version “umKhaya”,
referring to the Knob thorn tree (Acacia nigrescens).
This tree is widespread throughout the KNP and is often
found on black turf. The branches have conspicuous knobs,
each tipped with a hooked thorn.

Nkovakulu
“Nkova kulu” is combined to form this Tsonga word which
means “Big valley”.

Nkuhlu
This is the Tsonga word for the Natal mahogany (Trichilia
emetica), also known as the Woodland mahogany. This tree
is widely distributed throughout tropical Africa, Mozambique,
Natal, Swaziland, Zululand, Botswana and eastern and
northern Transvaal. They are usually found in open
woodland and thrives on river banks.
These are very big trees, evergreen, unarmed and a familiar
sight, mainly as their dense, green crowns are visible for
hundreds of miles. They are also famous shade trees, with a
spread often wider than their height and has been found
housing whole African villages underneath.

Nkulumbeni
This is a deriviation from “Nkulunkumba”, which in Tsonga
means “at the old person”.

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The elders of the village were normally respected as the
wisest, and the younger people could often be found “at the
old person”, mostly sitting under a tree learning life’s secrets.

Nkumbe
This name is said to derive from that of a Ndebele chief.

Nsasane
This Tsonga name describes the Umbrella thorn tree
(Acacia tortilis Hayne subspecie heteracantha). The crown
of this tree resembles the shape of an umbrella and the
branches bear both hooked and straight thorns.

Nsemani
This is a Tsonga firstname and bears no particular meaning.

Nsikazi
This word is the Swati reference to the female version of a
natural occurrence. This could refer to a female spruit, per
example.

Ntomeni
In Tsonga this would mean “at the jackal berry tree.” For
more information on this tree, see Jakkalsbessie.

Ntshivana
This is the Tsonga word for a small mane, such as found on
young male lion cubs or on the young of Zebra.

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Ntsumaneni
The Shangaan word means “place of the red ochre”. The
Shangaan used to dig out red ochre from this hill for
cosmetic purposes. The men used various markings to show
their standing in the community as warriors, newly-weds,
cattlemen, etc. The women had similar markings for newly-
weds and other markings for widows, virgins and female
royalty.

Numbi
Just after the entrance to Pretoriuskop you will find
Numbikop. To start, the history of the name Pretoriuskop is
uncertain, but some believe that the name was given after
the old president M.W. Pretorius rested at this hill after a
journey he undertook. The name “Numbikop” was given to
this hill in honour of a Tribal chief by that name. The name
“Numbi” has no particular meaning in this case, but some
African slang dictates a “numbi” to be the breast of a
woman.
In Swati the word “iNumbi” would mean the round fruit of a
small tree or shrub.

Nyala land
Named after the rare and handsome antelope, the Nyala
(Tragelaphus angasii). Thanks to Piet de Jager, a ranger in
the KNP in the early 1920`s this close to extinct animal was
rescued as a species. He made it his personal quest to
safeguard these antelope and to re-establish them in their
natural habitat.

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The Nyala is also the antelope which is on the split between
the larger and the smaller antelope. Interestingly, the Nyala
male is big enough to be referred to as a “bull” instead of a
“ram”, but the Nyala female is referred to as an “ewe’ and
not a “cow”. This makes the Nyala the only mammal that has
a bull and ewe in their specie!

Nyamarhi
The Tsonga word for the Cape ash (Ekebergia capensis),
also known as the “Dog plum”. This tree is widespread from
areas close to Knysna, through Natal, Zululand, Swaziland
to eastern and northern Transvaal. It is usually evergreen
and can grow up to 22 metres with a pointed crown display
in the forest, but with a widespread crown in the open.

Olifantdrinkgat
Afrikaans for “elephants’ watering hole”

Olifants
Name given in Afrikaans for Elephants’ River and –camp.
The Olifants River is known as “Lepelle” in Sotho, “Balule” in
Shangaan and “Libhalule” in Swazi. The similarities in the
combination of the three names are quite interesting!

Olifantsbad pan
The Afrikaans direct translation would be “Elephants’ bath
pan”, which is quite overdescriptive of why it was named so.

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Orpen camp/ gate /dam
These sites were named after the most extraordinary couple
who ever graced the KNP with their presence. The late
James and Eileen Orpen have rendered inestimatable
service in the interest of game protection in all the national
parks in South Africa. While the couple were surveying the
western boundary of the camp, (without payment) they
noticed that most of the farms along the boundary were
used for hunting and game farms, relying on game that
crossed the boundary in search of better grazing and water.

Eileen Orpen decided that the only solution to the problem
was to expand the park to the west, where she immediately,
to a great expense, purchased approximately 30 000
morgen and donated it to the National Parks Board.

Eventually, a total of 8 farms were bought and donated!
Notwithstanding these generous gifts, the Orpens were
probably the most open-handed contributors to wherever
there was a need to the conservation of nature; whether in
the form of windmills or a dam, they were first to show their
undying love to the wildlife and conservation of the KNP.
They will be remembered as long as people will care for
their legacy.

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Ou kraal
This Afrikaans word meaning “wall around a cluster of huts”
or “an enclosure for animals”, refers to an area where tribal
huts used to be before they were moved out from the park.
“Kraal” = corral, and has very similar pronunciation.

Pafuri
Most probably one of the places where anybody visiting the
KNP must make an effort to visit. Towards the end of the
19th century, Pafuri was known as “Crook`s corner” due to
the crossing of all the notorious smugglers from Rhodesia
(now Zimbabwe), Transvaal, (now Mpumalanga) and
Mozambique (still the same after Nelson Mandela married
Graca Machel).

These smugglers found a road to cross through these wilds,
laden with contraband and especially ivory. If one would look
closely at the surrounding foliage, trees, birdlife, wildlife and
general thick abundance of living, you will know why Pafuri
is one of the “must see`s”, and also why the so-called
crooks could slink through this area unseen. The name
Pafuri takes its’ origin from the adaption of the first name of
a Venda chief , Mphaphuli.

Phabeni
This time it is a Sotho word for a change, meaning shelter or
cave, of which there are plenty in the KNP.

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Phalaborwa
The name is said to mean “it is better here than in the
south”, referring to the peace refugees enjoyed there after
fleeing from clashes with Swazi and Zulu tribes on their way
there. Interestingly enough, the town was originally laid out
on a farm by the name of “Laaste” which from the Afrikaans
would mean “the last” or “the final destination” taken in the
context of the time. This farm was also based on the site of
centuries of old mining operations, so the intentions of the
settlers were to go there to farm and be peaceful.

Phonda hills
This stems from the Sotho word “phondla”, which means “to
appear suddenly”. Due to thickness of the underbrush,
foliage and forest, the hills would suddenly appear as from
nowhere, when heading towards it.

Phugwani
This was the first name of a Tsonga chief of earlier years.

Piet Grobler
On May 31, 1926, the then Minister of Land Affairs, Mr Piet
Grobler introduced the National Parks Act in Parliament.
This Act assured the future of animal life in the Kruger
National Park.

Pretoriuskop
See “Numbi”

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Punda Maria
See “Coetzer”

Rabelais
This was the original name of the Orpen gate as we know it.
Named after a farm that used to be on this land, Rabelais
derived its’ name from the French writer Francois Rabelais.
Rabelais was one of the rebellious humanist writers of the
1500’s. His work was mostly banned, but exceptionally
popular under the French public.

Randspruit (waterhole)
This Afrikaans word means “the stream in the edge.” Rand=
edge, spruit= small stream.

Ratelpan
The Afrikaans for “small dam of the honey badger”. Ratel=
honey badger (Mellivora capensis), pan= small dam. Honey
badgers are some of Africa’s toughest little animals, and
unless they are very young, sick or old, even the carnivores
walk around them.
They are scared of nothing, and although they are normally
quiet, shy and nocturnal animals, they will become extremely
aggressive attackers and can do much harm with their sharp
teeth and claws, when provoked or cornered.
Their best mate is the honeyguide (Indicator indicator), a
bird which shares the honey badger’s love for honey and will
point the nests out to them.

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After the honey badger destroys the nest, the bird will feed
on left-over combs and larvae.

Red rocks
As it describes, the name was given due to the geological
datail of this area.

Reën voël
The Afrikaans for “rainbird”, Ceutropus; Bucarax cafer. It is
believed that this bird`s call predicts rain.

Renosterkoppies
The Afrikaans for “hills of the rhinoceros”.
It would be given this name because rhinos were found
under the hills, as they are not known to dwell up or over
hills.

Renosterpan
This Afrikaans word means “small dam of the rhinoceros”.
There are two types of rhino found in the park, both very
close to distinction. The black rhino has a smaller pointed
mouth and eats leaves and twigs. You will know black rhino
are close when looking at dung, finding twigs chewed off at
45° angles. The black rhino has better eyesight than the
white rhino and will run around bushes, the white rhino will
run through it.

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This is also indicative when mothers with their young feel

threatened. The baby black rhino runs ahead of the mother,
so the mother can keep an eye on it, where the white rhino’s

baby runs behind it, so that the mother can break the

bushes.

Rietpan
The Afrikaans word meaning “small dam of reeds”.

Rockvale
Named due to the geological surroundings, a valley strewn
with rocks.

Roodewal
The Afrikaans word would mean a red steep incline.

Rooibosrant
The Rooibos is the Afrikaans name for the red bush willow
Combretum apiculatum. The crown of this tree is
yellowgreen, the leaves very shiny with a sharp twisted
point. The fruit grow up to 2,5cm. Not to be mistaken with
rooibos tea found in the Clanwilliam district of the Western
Cape.
The Afrikaans –rant means ridge.

Saalbek
An Afrikaans word;
Saal = saddle
Bek = mouth or bill.

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This word refers to the Saddlebill Stork Ephippiorhynchus
senegalensis. The adult height of this bird is normally
152cm. They can be found breeding in trees in the KNP.
These birds have no voice and communicate with a clapping
sound of their bills. Their bills are long and bright red with a
central black band and a yellow frontal saddle. The legs are
black with pink knee joints. The body is white with the head,
neck, tail and upper wings being black.

Sabie river
See “Lower Sabie”

Salitje river
This tributary of the Sabie river has been named after the
Swazi name for stones or rocks and refers to the geological
make-up of the banks.

Sand river
Originally named as “Sand rivier” as an Afrikaans name. The
word sand is common to both English and Afrikaans, but
pronounced differently. The name refers to the sandy
settlement on the banks, as well as the large amount of sand
that erosion drives through with each flooding of this river.

Satara
In the years when surveying was still the order of the day in
the then inhospitable region, an unknown surveyor with a
Hindu servant surveyed their seventeenth site.

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The servant wrote the site down in Hindi as the seventeenth,
seventeen being “satrah” in his language, which was then
corrupted to become the well-known camp, Satara.

Shamiriri
An interesting Sotho name referring to a head of hair with
hair only at the crown part and the rest around the base
shaved off. It is based on the Shamiriri hill where vegetation
occurs on the summit of the hill with the base being bare.
African hairstyles are to this day very much “Shamiriri” and
true to tradition very trendy! The direct translation from
Sotho will be “with hair”. The name has also been given to a
tributary of the Olifants river.

Shibavantsengele
This name is a combination of the two Tsonga words “xibava
ntsengele” which refers to the blue sourplum.
More specifically, this refers to (Ximenia americana), which
has a more profound taste than its more common
counterpart, Ximenia caffra. Interestingly
enough, this specific sourplum actually has a yellow fruit and
the more common one red fruit!

Shibotwana
This is a Tsonga firstname with no particular meaning.
(Xibotwana)

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Shilowa
This small hill close to the Mopani restcamp, has been
named after a person by the name of Xilowa, which,
translated from Tsonga means “the bewitched one”.

Shimangwaneni
It is believed that this name derives itself from the Shangaan
“shimangwana” which means “place of the small zebra”. It is
a tributary of the Nhlowa river and the foliage lends itself to
the perfect milieu for the young zebra to be safely raised in.

Shimuwini
From Shangaan origin, the name translates to “at the
baobab tree”. Baobabs are still found in this area and for
more information on the Baobab, page to Baobab hill.

Shingomani
The Shingomani dam has its name as a derivative from
Shingomeni (see below), as the Nkulumbeni river, which
forms part of the network of rivers that feed the dam, and
has its origin at the Shingomeni hill.

Shingomeni
The Shangaan word for this hill translates to “a fortified
place”, a place where battles could be fought. The same
name has also been given to a tributary of the Nkulumbeni
river.

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Shingwedzi
This refers to the the Shingwedzi river. The word Shingwedzi
means “place of the iron rock.” The name has also been
given to an elephant. His main tusk was 264cm in length
with a circumference of 48cm measured closest to the lip
and weighed 58,1Kg. The supporting tusk was 207cm in
length and weighed 47,2Kg.

Some say that the word is derived from the Tsonga word
“ngwetse”, which describes the sound of two pieces of metal
being rubbed together.

Ship mountain
Named so, as the skyline of the mountain resembles the
keel of a ship that is turned upside down.

Shiphampanane
Originally from the Tsonga word “xiphampha”. This refers to
a flat object, something like a flat rock.

Shipikana
The Tsonga word “xipikana” describes a small pickaxe.

Shipirivirhi
“Two difficult tasks” would be the translation from the
Tsonga word “xipirivhiri”. It is not known why this name was
given and to which two tasks were referred.

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Shirimantanga
Also Shirimantange, this word refers to two related
meanings.
The first would be “vlei gardens” and the second would
be the act of ploughing. Both relates to agriculture that used
to be very much part of this area before it became a reserve.
It is also presumed that it was named after a former
Shangaan resident of the area, where, as a firstname it
would mean “He who tills the early garden.”

Shisakashanghonzo
Also known as “Shisashangondo”, meaning “where the
hamerkop nests”. Hamerkop =Scopus umbretta umbretta.
This tributary is of the Timbavati, roughly 27 kilometres
north-west of Satara.

Shisha
The Tsonga word “xixa” means to miscarry your baby. It is
not sure whether this would have reference on people or
animals in this context.

Shishangani
This word is derived from the Tsonga word “xixanga”, which
is a cultural ritual performed ahead of attempting a task. The
ritual is believed to help the person achieve success.

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Shitlhave
This waterhole was named after one of Colonel James
Steventon-Hamilton’s first rangers, a sergeant Jafuta
Xitlhave. From the Tsonga, a direct translation of his
surname would mean “stitch in your side”.

Shitsakana
The name is of Shangaan origin and means “happy little
stream.” This tributary of the Nwanedzi river can be found 3
km north-west of Satara.

Shivulani
This Tsonga word means “small doll” (xivulhani) and
originates from the word “vhule”. This item was made from
rags and two “sala”, the fruit of the monkey- orange tree.

Shongololo
A generic African name understood by most African tribes
describing the millepede. Not to be mistaken as the
centipede, this Myriapod of the class Diplopoda is
widespread in South Africa and ranges in size. It has been
documented that they get up to 30cm in length.
When threatened, it releases a pungent liquid film containing
cyanide. In addition to this, it will make quick wriggling
motions to copy the movements of a snake and if all else
fails, will roll itself up in a tight circle with its hard, bonelike
segments to the outside to protect itself.

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African tribal legend has it that if you kill the Shongololo,
floods will ravage the land. Also known as the “Rainworm”,
as it becomes very active before, during and after
rainstorms.
Interestingly, the Swati word “shongololo” is what they use to
describe the Kudu! (Tragelapus strepsiceros).

Silolweni
This Tsonga word refers to an area being swampy in the
rainy season. The name was given to a spruit tributary to the
N’waswitsontso, as well as a concrete dam in Shingwedzi.

Silwervis
The Afrikaans word for “silver fish.”
This area borders on the Shingomane dam where various
types of fish are present.
The most popular reference to “silver fish” would be to the
only one of these species with a predominant silver colour,
the tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus, family Characidae.

The tigerfish is silver in colour, with a red tail and striped
bodylines. A favourite among anglers, as it is a fighting fish.
Cables need to be used behind lures, as the fish is equipped
with a row of ferociously sharp, big teeth. This cousin of the
South American piranha (Serrasalmus) is a cruel hunter and
swimmers in African countries are warned not to wear any
bright swimwear or jewellery. Dams in the KNP restricts the
fish to reach only about 7 kilograms, but the record weight
recorded was 18 kilograms in Lake Kariba.

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The less popular and more accurate reference would be to
the very rare and elusive papermouth barb (Barbus mattozi).
This fish is also a big prize for freshwater anglers. It is silver
in colour with orange fins and thrives in dams and pools of
perennial rivers. It is easily confused with the rosefin barb
(Barbus argenteus) as well as the plump barb (Barbus
afrohamiltoni), as both are very similar in colour to their
scarce cousin. The papermouth’s distribution is along the
Limpopo system, the headwaters of the Gwai in Zimbabwe
and the Cunene river.

Sirheni
Originally named “Sirha ra ndlopfu” and abbreviated to
sirheni. In Tsonga, this means “at the grave of the elephant”
and refers to an elephant that was too big to bury anywhere
else but in the sand next to this waterhole. The elephant
was a victim of the anthrax epidemic of 1960.

Sitfungwane
This Swati word means “a small bundle of grass tied
together”. Grass bundles are still used to thatch roofs of
houses and huts.

Siyalu
The Swati word means “a bubbling spring” and refers to a
spring close by to this small hill.

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Skukuza
In 1902, a single structure – an old blockhouse at the Sabie
river bridge was all that was erected. This blockhouse was
called “Reserve” and was later renamed to Skukuza in 1932.
This came about after many other structures were erected
around it and formed the head office from where everything
started. The name Skukuza is a corruption of a Zulu word
Sikhukhuza, meaning “the man who brought about change.”

Another similar interpretation of the word would be “the man
who came and turned everything upside down.” Should this
name be given to a female, it would be interpreted as “the
one who sweeps clean.”

There is a lot of honour in the undertones of this nickname
and the man it was bestowed upon was the “father” of the
KNP, the most extraordinary James Stevenson-Hamilton.
He was not the most beloved man in the first years of the
reserve, as he changed the lifestyles of entire villages and
individuals by adding laws and restrictions to the once
“Hunter`s paradise.”

After his efforts started showing the rewards and results of
extreme hard work from his side to change a culture of
hunting and lifestyles of villagers, people realised the value
of conservation and fell in step with what he tried to achieve.

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Sonop
The Afrikaans word for “sunrise”, this waterhole is one of the
easternmost waterholes where one is certain to see the sun
rise first.

Stapelkop
The Afrikaans word for “stacked hill”. This name was given
to a hill where the boulders seemed to be stacked on top of
one another.
This hill is situated near a waterhole of the same name,
close to the Boulders private restcamp.

Stevenson Hamilton
See Skukuza

Stolsnek (waterhole)
The name of a tributary of the Mangake river, this name was
originally given to a rise, which was part of a pass on the old
transport road 23 km south-east of Pretoriuskop. A man by
the name of Gert Frederik Coenraad Stolz died of malaria
and was buried at the top of the rise. His tombstone bearing
his name and the date 10 April 1886 was removed by
fortune hunters in the 1950’s.

Sunset dam
The name given to the most impressive event that day to the
onlooker – the sunset.

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Sunset dam is situated close to Lower Sabie restcamp, and
is home to a family of hippo’s, best viewed just before
sunset, as they tend to do their yawning exhibit at this time.

Swartklip
The Afrikaans for “Black rock”, this waterhole is situated in
an ecology that carries vast quantities of granite rock, black
in colour in most parts.

Sweni
This name has been given to a spruit, the largest tributary of
the N’wanetsi river, as well as to a drinking hole and
tentcamp. The name originates from the Tsonga word
“swinya”, which means to close one’s eyes tightly. It was
named by F.V. Kirby in 1896.

Talamati
The Tsonga word means abundance of water.

Tamboti
This tree, Spirostachys africana is found as far as Tropical
Africa and is often found on hills or on river banks. It grows
up to 10 metres, with a black bark deeply cracked into
rectangles.
The timber is very beautiful and highly prized and priced to
use for furniture or engravings. The wood is mostly toxic and
even cooking on a fire made with Tamboti can be harmful.

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Thulamila
This Venda word means “prominence” or “elevation” and has
been given to a hill 3km south of Punda Maria. It refers to
ruins elevating from the crest of this hill. These ruins date
back to the pre-Venda era.

Tihongonyeni
This Tsonga word means “at the blue wildebeest”. The
wildebeest and zebra can always be seen grazing together,
the zebra eating the top parts of the grass and the
wildebeest the lower parts.

Timbavati
This comes from the Tsonga word meaning “brackish water”
or “bitter water.” The original, uncorrupted word “ku bava”
refers to both abovementioned descriptions. The same
name in Shangaan, interestingly enough, also means “bitter
water”.

Timfenheni loop
This tributary of the crocodile river, 10km north-north-east of
the Malelane private restcamp is named after the Shangaan
for “among the baboons.” Visitors to this southern area to as
far as Crocodile bridge, will notice the abundance of
baboons in the closer vicinity of the river. Among the
riverbanks and adjoining forests, large numbers of insects
are found which is a favourite foodsource for baboons.

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Tinhongana
This Tsonga word refers to the wildebeest fly. This borehole
was sunk amids clouds of these pests and named by J.
Kloppers in 1962.

Tlhalabye
This hill was named after a Tsonga person by the same
name.

Trichardt road
The first white men to have crossed the country now
included in the KNP were those led by Louis Trichardt in
1837.
The objective was to reach Delagoa Bay and establishing
contact with the Portuguese and the sea.
They travelled with their wives and families by oxwagon and
due to malaria and tsetse-fly fever, many deaths were
recorded. Even Louis Trichardt himself, his wife and many of
his companions died shortly after their arrival in Delagoa
Bay.

Contact, nevertheless was established and, stimulated by
their success, the Transvaal Government made strenuous
efforts to establish permanent communications with
Lourenço Marques. Here, Louis` son Karel Trichardt was
very prominent in establishing this route. In their honour, this
road had been named, which in part is still the original route
they took and joins up with the old main road, frequently
used by transporters in earlier days.

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Tsendze
From the Tsonga word “tsendzeleka”, describing a person
wandering about lost in the bushes. This might have
reference to the many bends in this river.

Tshanga
This Tsonga word refers to a cattle kraal. It was named so,
due to the stony walls on these hills resembling those of
cattle kraals.

Tshokwane
This word translates into “water well.”
There are abundant waterwells in the KNP, and it is unsure
why this restcamp was picked out to bestow this name on.
From 1910 onwards, James Stevenson-Hamilton made
regular visits to Tshokwane, as it was abundant with water
and wildlife, more than any other part in the KNP.
Before 1910, eight years of drought had dried up most of the
reserves, and from the natives, only the followers of old
“Tshokwane” the chief by the same name, stayed.
Tshokwane died in 1915, after which his family moved out of
the camp and left everything to the wild animals.

Tsutshe
This Tsonga word means “unbroken, boiled mealies”.

79

Twisappel
The Afrikaans for “apple of discord”, relating to as far as the
Greek mythology where Eris, goddess of quarrel, dropped a
golden apple with the words “for the most beautiful” on the
floor at a wedding attended by the gods and goddesses.
There was a whole chain of events that led to the naming of
this dam, stemming from the fact that the park engineer was
extremely unhappy with the roads engineer for erecting this
dam without his permission or knowledge in 1978.
Named by J. Kloppers.

Uitspan
The Afrikaans word for “outspan”, “unyoke”, or “unharness”.
This would relate to earlier transport drivers who would use
this area as a halfway- house or restcamp.

Vervoer dam
The word “vervoer” is Afrikaans for “transport” and this dam
was named thus, as the Department of Transport donated
the building of this dam in 1971.

Vlag koppie
The Afrikaans for “flag hill” and named so, as the summit of
the hill was sporting a surveyor’s flag when ranger L.B.
Steyn named it.

Voetpad
Afrikaans for “footpath”. Here a footpath crossed the
Mozambican border many years ago.

80

Voortrekker
Named after the Boers who left the Cape and trekked north
to settle in these and surrounding areas. The name has two
connotations, the first being “those who trekked ahead”, as
well as “the one who pulls at the front.” The latter
explanation derives from the fact that the younger men had
to pull at the front of the oxen to lead them and coax them
over sharp and dangerous ravines and rises.

Vudogwa
This hill, 21 km south-east of Malopeni is from a Shangaan
word, derived from the Sotho word “Bodôgwa”, a dialectic
form of “Botlokwa”, which means “country of the Batlôkwa
tribe.”

Vurhami
This tributary spruit of the Crocodile River is named after the
Tsonga word for “cold”.

Vutomi
The Tsonga word translates to “life” or “good health”.

Welverdiend
This waterhole is named after the Afrikaans/ Dutch for “well
deserved”. It got its name from the fact that it proved to be a
very strong-flowing borehole.

81

Wik-en-weeg
An Afrikaans saying translating to hesitation; “to weigh the
pros and the cons” would be a more typical way of
describing this term. The name was given due to much
debating on the exact placement of this man-made dam.

Witpens
This Afrikaans word is the shortened version of the word
Swartwitpens, which is the name of the Sable antelope or
Harris antelope Hippotragus niger. The characteristics of this
animal is the long, sable shaped horns, which have been
recorded to grow to an astounding 1,5 metres, even though
the male grows to a height of 1,35 metres and can weigh
230 kilograms.
Their colouring is mainly black, with a white stomach and
white markings on the side of the head and mouth. A very
rare antelope, groups of ten to twenty have been recorded,
mainly female, normally accompanied by a young male.

Witsand
A waterhole close to Punda Maria, situated in the ecology of
alluvial plains. The word “Witsand” is Afrikaans for “white
sand” and is descriptive of the geology and sandy parts of
this area.

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Wolhuter (tents)
Harry Christopher Wolhuter was one of the most remarkable
men that ever graced the KNP. He was introduced to James
Stevenson-Hamilton at the age of 27 to be a game ranger in
his force. Eventually they worked together for more than
forty years, fighting for conservation and the well-being of
the KNP.

In these 40+ years in the service of conserving the KNP,
Wolhuter became most probably the most famous of
game rangers ever. In the Boerwars, this South-African
born, native of the wilderness, joined an obscure British rank
fighting the Boers, called Steinaeckers’ Horse. After the war,
he joined J. S-H to fortify what is today the proud KNP. In
the bit more recent service of the KNP (then known as “the
Sabie game reserve”) in August 1904, Wolhuter was
travelling in the typical way of the time, on horseback, two
donkeys carrying all he owned, four black policemen by foot
and three dogs.

They headed off on 26 August 1904, towards a waterhole
Wolhuter knew well and found it to be dried out. This came
to be late in the afternoon. He instructed his four
companions to follow his tracks, as he wanted to head out to
another waterhole approximately 19 km further. It started to
become dark, Wolhuters’ one dog “Boel” was with him and
the dog sensed something strange. Wolhuter knew the area
and thus far never encountered lion.

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In his writing of “Journal of the Society for the Protection of
the Fauna of the Empire”, he writes that he saw some
movement that he thought were reedbuck. The next instant
he saw the lion on his left, ready to bound. He had no time to
lift his rifle, and instead spurred his horse and changed
course, which ended up in the horse getting a few minor
scrapes from the lion’s paws only.

The velocity of the lion’s attack and the retalliating bound of
the horse threw Wolhuter right into the face of the second
oncoming lion. He found himself, after coming to his senses,
to be dragged by his right shoulder under the lion on route to
where the lion planned to devour him. In the process, he lost
his rifle and realised that all he had left was a knife in his
belt of approximately 6 inches in length.

He used his left hand and stabbed the lion in the shoulder
as well as in the neck, after which the lion released him.
He then climbed the first tree he could find and could hardly
relax before the first attacking lion reached the tree as well.
Between his shouting and the feisty barking of his dog that
found him again, the second lion left as well. He tied himself
to the tree until his companions found him and could get him
to medical help.

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The above version is but a very short summary of the actual
story and the author would like to encourage further reading
of this remarkable encounter.The knife and lionhide is
available for viewing in the Stevenson-Hamilton memorial
library in Skukuza.
Xitangeni
This Tsonga word means “at the cooking hut”.
Zambhala
This waterhole in the vurhami spruit bears the Tsonga name
for “potato”.

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