Malelane
Encyclopedia
Malalane is a farming town in Mpumalanga
, South Africa situated on the N4 national highway. The farms in the region produce sugarcane
, subtropical fruit
and winter vegetable
s. The town was proclaimed in 1949 after which it was named. The origin of the name is disputed but was corrupted from the swazi. Either the expression "eMlalani" which means place of the palms, or the expression "lala" which means to sleep are accepted origins of the name. The town started as the first rest-stop between
Lourenço Marques
and Pretoria
. As of July 2007 the town was officially renamed from "Malelane" to "Malalane" as part of the governments renaming scheme by the South African Geographical Names Council
. This peculiar move by the government has been costly to numerous businesses and was met with some confusion as many thought that the name was already a native word.
and hunting stopped. The effect of this was minimal as visitors to the area now visited to see the game instead of hunting it. With the formation of the national park a barbed wire fence was erected. This had little effect on the agricultural sector of the region except that animals were now more controlled and were limited in roaming onto farmers crops, although larger game such as buffalo and elephant still strayed onto farms.
In 1942 the government of the Transvaal
commissioned a dust road through the area for military use. This road was later tarred. The effect of the road being constructed was that an increase of traffic through the area was experienced. However this had little effect on the local economy as the traffic was primarily passing through to Lourenço Marques (now Maputo
). The odd traveller may have stopped at a local shop but the increase in trade had no real impact.
In 1963 the fence bordering the Kruger National Park
was upgraded to meet international standards and was proclaimed proficient against the threat of foot and mouth in the park. The migration of larger game was severely restricted. Elephant, buffalo, lion and hippo now had extremely limited access to crops and farmers could invest more into their produce as the threat of them being destroyed was minimal. Cattle were a popular choice as the threat of them being eaten was now much less than before (although it still occurred).
1965 saw the upgrade of the foot and mouth fence. It was now electrified and was known as the Snyman fence. It also saw the construction of the Transvaal Suiker Beperkings (TSB) sugar mill near the Malalane entrance of the Kruger National Park
. Naturally this had the effect of mass planting of sugar cane in the area. The area soon began to flourish and was characterised by good sugar production and tourism. The mill still runs to this day and services local farmers. The military road was upgraded again the meet the needs of the area but also to service Eskom
operations in the area. This meant easier access for tourists to enter the region and to travel to Mozambique
. The upgrade never saw any tangible benefit to farmers except that goods could be transported more easily.
A trend of growth was experienced until 1998 when the road servicing the area was upgraded yet again to a national road status. The road was named the ‘N4’ and became a toll road. A government project was launched which saw significant growth in the area. This was known as the Maputo Corridor
. Malelane Gate was then named as one of the main entrances to the Kruger National Park
. This led to a drastic increase in tourism in the area and many lodges were established. These include: Malelane Lodge, Pestana Lodge and some bed and breakfasts. The area also saw the establishment of Riverview Primary. Due to the growth big corporations came to the area. Sun International bought Malelane lodge and SPAR
and Pick 'n Pay
also invested in branches in the area.
The effects of this was very beneficial to the area but in particular the agricultural sector. Rather than buying goods from suppliers Spar
and Pick 'n Pay
bought from local farmers. This had an added benefit that farmers now had a stable market where their goods could be sold or bought. Unsurprisingly tourists of the area also bought goods from the new shops rather than bring in their own goods from afar.
Due to the increase of tourist activities in the area, many contractors were brought in to meet the demands of new developments in the area. The growth of Malalane town was now at a peak as many people were now living in the town or nearby because their jobs entailed them working at lodges or similar establishments in the immediate area. This boosted the local economy greatly and local shops benefited greatly from the new influx of trade. More trade also came from Mozambique
after the civil war.
Future developments saw sections of the Kruger National Park
being outsourced the large company and corporations. This had both negative and positive effects on the region. By outsourcing sections of the Kruger National Park
the companies involved could attract more foreign tourists. The bonus of this was that the tourists injected large amounts of foreign exchange into the area and economy. This did have a bump-on effect though. Local companies lost out in trade to the corporations and consequently some local businesses suffered. The National Parks Board also declared a policy of no more peripheral development (i.e. No new camps, lodges or developments were to be built in the park. Together with the legislation of open top game vehicles the park saw entrance admissions previously unheard of.
The development of the Leopard Creek Golf Club and housing estate aided in giving the local economy a boost. An added bonus to this was the revenue brought in from golf
tournaments, such as the Sunshine Tour
's Alfred Dunhill Championship, and was beneficial to the town. Other lodges and B&B's were also built in the area.
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga , is a province of South Africa. The name means east or literally "the place where the sun rises" in Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, north of KwaZulu-Natal and bordering Swaziland and Mozambique. It constitutes 6.5% of South Africa's land area...
, South Africa situated on the N4 national highway. The farms in the region produce sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
, subtropical fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and winter vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s. The town was proclaimed in 1949 after which it was named. The origin of the name is disputed but was corrupted from the swazi. Either the expression "eMlalani" which means place of the palms, or the expression "lala" which means to sleep are accepted origins of the name. The town started as the first rest-stop between
Lourenço Marques
Maputo Bay
Maputo Bay , formerly Delagoa Bay, Baía da Lagoa is an inlet of the Indian Ocean on the coast of Mozambique, between 25° 40' and 26° 20' S, with a length from north to south of over 90 km long and 32 km wide....
and Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
. As of July 2007 the town was officially renamed from "Malelane" to "Malalane" as part of the governments renaming scheme by the South African Geographical Names Council
South African Geographical Names Council
The South African Geographical Names Council is the official government body of South Africa that advises the executive branch of the central government on new geographical names as well as the changing of existing geographical names.- Purpose of the Council :The Council was established by the...
. This peculiar move by the government has been costly to numerous businesses and was met with some confusion as many thought that the name was already a native word.
History
The Malalane area has a diverse history which includes both farming and tourism based operations. The area was originally a bush area and was known as The Kruger Shooting Concession. Leopard, lion and buffalo were often shot as a sport. In 1926 the area was proclaimed as The Kruger National ParkKruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers and extends from north to south and from east to west.To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is...
and hunting stopped. The effect of this was minimal as visitors to the area now visited to see the game instead of hunting it. With the formation of the national park a barbed wire fence was erected. This had little effect on the agricultural sector of the region except that animals were now more controlled and were limited in roaming onto farmers crops, although larger game such as buffalo and elephant still strayed onto farms.
In 1942 the government of the Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
commissioned a dust road through the area for military use. This road was later tarred. The effect of the road being constructed was that an increase of traffic through the area was experienced. However this had little effect on the local economy as the traffic was primarily passing through to Lourenço Marques (now Maputo
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
). The odd traveller may have stopped at a local shop but the increase in trade had no real impact.
In 1963 the fence bordering the Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers and extends from north to south and from east to west.To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is...
was upgraded to meet international standards and was proclaimed proficient against the threat of foot and mouth in the park. The migration of larger game was severely restricted. Elephant, buffalo, lion and hippo now had extremely limited access to crops and farmers could invest more into their produce as the threat of them being destroyed was minimal. Cattle were a popular choice as the threat of them being eaten was now much less than before (although it still occurred).
1965 saw the upgrade of the foot and mouth fence. It was now electrified and was known as the Snyman fence. It also saw the construction of the Transvaal Suiker Beperkings (TSB) sugar mill near the Malalane entrance of the Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers and extends from north to south and from east to west.To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is...
. Naturally this had the effect of mass planting of sugar cane in the area. The area soon began to flourish and was characterised by good sugar production and tourism. The mill still runs to this day and services local farmers. The military road was upgraded again the meet the needs of the area but also to service Eskom
Eskom
Eskom is a South African electricity public utility, established in 1923 as the Electricity Supply Commission by the government of South Africa in terms of the Electricity Act . It was also known by its Afrikaans name Elektrisiteitsvoorsieningskommissie . The two acronyms were combined in 1986 and...
operations in the area. This meant easier access for tourists to enter the region and to travel to Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. The upgrade never saw any tangible benefit to farmers except that goods could be transported more easily.
A trend of growth was experienced until 1998 when the road servicing the area was upgraded yet again to a national road status. The road was named the ‘N4’ and became a toll road. A government project was launched which saw significant growth in the area. This was known as the Maputo Corridor
Maputo Corridor
The Maputo Corridor is a major trade corridor which connects the Gauteng, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa with Maputo, which is a port and the capital of Mozambique....
. Malelane Gate was then named as one of the main entrances to the Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers and extends from north to south and from east to west.To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is...
. This led to a drastic increase in tourism in the area and many lodges were established. These include: Malelane Lodge, Pestana Lodge and some bed and breakfasts. The area also saw the establishment of Riverview Primary. Due to the growth big corporations came to the area. Sun International bought Malelane lodge and SPAR
SPAR
Spar , trades from approximately 12400 stores in 34 countries worldwide and is the world's largest independent voluntary retail trading chain. Spar was founded in the Netherlands in 1932 by retailer Adriaan Van Well and now, through its affiliate organisations, operates through most European...
and Pick 'n Pay
Pick 'n Pay
Pick 'n Pay is a second largest supermarket chain store in South Africa, established in 1967. It can also be found in other regions of southern Africa, such as Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The founder of the chain is Jack Goldin. Raymond Ackerman purchased three Pick 'n Pay...
also invested in branches in the area.
The effects of this was very beneficial to the area but in particular the agricultural sector. Rather than buying goods from suppliers Spar
Spar
In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a...
and Pick 'n Pay
Pick 'n Pay
Pick 'n Pay is a second largest supermarket chain store in South Africa, established in 1967. It can also be found in other regions of southern Africa, such as Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The founder of the chain is Jack Goldin. Raymond Ackerman purchased three Pick 'n Pay...
bought from local farmers. This had an added benefit that farmers now had a stable market where their goods could be sold or bought. Unsurprisingly tourists of the area also bought goods from the new shops rather than bring in their own goods from afar.
Due to the increase of tourist activities in the area, many contractors were brought in to meet the demands of new developments in the area. The growth of Malalane town was now at a peak as many people were now living in the town or nearby because their jobs entailed them working at lodges or similar establishments in the immediate area. This boosted the local economy greatly and local shops benefited greatly from the new influx of trade. More trade also came from Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
after the civil war.
Future developments saw sections of the Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers and extends from north to south and from east to west.To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is...
being outsourced the large company and corporations. This had both negative and positive effects on the region. By outsourcing sections of the Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers and extends from north to south and from east to west.To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is...
the companies involved could attract more foreign tourists. The bonus of this was that the tourists injected large amounts of foreign exchange into the area and economy. This did have a bump-on effect though. Local companies lost out in trade to the corporations and consequently some local businesses suffered. The National Parks Board also declared a policy of no more peripheral development (i.e. No new camps, lodges or developments were to be built in the park. Together with the legislation of open top game vehicles the park saw entrance admissions previously unheard of.
The development of the Leopard Creek Golf Club and housing estate aided in giving the local economy a boost. An added bonus to this was the revenue brought in from golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tournaments, such as the Sunshine Tour
Sunshine Tour
The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
's Alfred Dunhill Championship, and was beneficial to the town. Other lodges and B&B's were also built in the area.