Modjadjiskloof

Modjadjiskloof (formerly Duiwelskloof) is a small town at the foot of the escarpment, about 18 km north of Tzaneen on the R36, and the seat of the Greater Letaba Local Municipality. It sits at about 875 m in a heavily wooded, often misty forestry and farming area. It is the gateway to the Modjadji Cycad Reserve and the royal home of the Balobedu Rain Queen.

About Things to do & see Close by Businesses Property

History

The town was surveyed in 1919 and proclaimed in 1920 under the name Duiwelskloof ('Devil's ravine'), probably because of the rugged terrain and the difficulty wagons had in the rainy season. On 14 June 2004 it was renamed Modjadjiskloof in honour of Queen Modjadji, the hereditary Rain Queen of the Balobedu people, whose line is said to go back several centuries. The Rain Queen became famous abroad after H. Rider Haggard drew on her story for 'She'.

Getting there

From Tzaneen take the R36 north for about 18 km. From Polokwane it is roughly 100-110 km, either via the R71 over Magoebaskloof to Tzaneen then north on the R36, or via the R81 and R36. Phalaborwa is roughly 95 km away via Tzaneen and the R71. The Modjadji Cycad Reserve is about 18 km from town.

Weather & climate

Mild to warm subtropical climate with summer rainfall; the escarpment setting makes it wetter and greener than the Lowveld, and mist is common, especially in the Modjadji hills. Summers are warm and humid, winters mild and dry.

Things to do

Scenic drive Tzaneen - Modjadji - HaenertsburgA self-drive route through the Molototsi valley, the Modjadji reserve, Koedoes Valley and the Woodbush forest, with mountain and valley views.

Things to see

Modjadji Cycad ReserveA 530 ha reserve in the Lobedu mountains with the world's largest concentration of a single cycad species, the Modjadji cycad, with some plants up to 13-16 m tall and centuries old. Trails lead down to bushveld with nyala, waterbuck and over 170 bird species, and there are views over the Lowveld; facilities were damaged by a 2019 fire and are basic.
Modjadji Royal Kraal (Rain Queen's homestead)The royal compound of the Balobedu Rain Queen at Khetlhakone village near the cycad reserve, one of the area's best-known cultural sites. Visits should be arranged respectfully through the royal authority.
Sunland Baobab (remains)Once one of the world's largest baobabs, with a famous bar built inside its hollow trunk on Sunland farm. The tree split in 2016 and 2017, destroying the bar, and the site is now listed as closed to visitors.