Nelspruit with its breathtaking scenery of green mountains is located in northern South Africa, inside the local municipality of Mbombela and around 300 kilometers east of Johannesburg. Named after the Nel family that originally had a farm in this area, Nelspruit’s economy still depends mostly on farming and agriculture since the climate of the area is ideal to grow tropical fruits such as bananas, mangos and avocados. Another key product of the area is of course tourism and since Nelspruit is very close to Mozambique people visit often to explore attractions like the Kruger National Park, a protected area of almost 20,000 square kilometres full of exotic wildlife and game reserve. Other interesting places near the city include the Shangana cultural village with its colourful people, the Sudwala caves which are the oldest caves in the world, some magnificent waterfalls like Mac-mac and Mpumalanga, and the Lowveld National Botanical Gardens a breathtaking Eden with scenic rivers and lots of green. Nelspruit is an area of many hidden wonders, and is considered one of the most tourist friendly cities in South Africa, and a definite must see for everyone visiting the country.
The brand new Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit will host a total of four games for the Fifa World Cup, all in the group stage. The stadium will have a capacity of 44,000 spectators, is currently under construction and will be the home of the Mpumalanga Black Aces and the Witbank Spurs. The event is just a few minutes drive from the city centre and the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airpor.
