News coverage about Swaziland has always been sparse, except when King Mswati III’s indiscretions make the headlines. Particularly after the COVID lockdown, it’s as if the kingdom all but disappeared from the tourism radar. That’s why we decided to check in and see if everything is still alright with our neighbours.
Our route starts in Badplaas, a Forever resort, about a five-hour drive from Johannesburg. We chose this as the starting point because it’s the last camping spot before crossing the border into Eswatini. From here, we take the R541 regional road, also known as the Diepgezet Road, to one of the quietest border posts we’ve ever encountered. The first 40 km of the Diepgezet Road is tarred before it turns into gravel. 20 km later, you’ll find the ghost town of Diepgezet.
We reported on this abandoned mining town, kept alive by Alan and Liz Eltze, in our November 2018 issue. Diepgezet, like other asbestos mining towns, was deserted in 2003, and the houses were initially in decent condition, even up to 2018. Today, however, there’s hardly anything left of the town. The buildings have been stripped of doors, windows, carpets and metal.
Even the roofs are gone, with the result that vegetation has completely engulfed the town. The coordinates are S26.00511 E31.07635 in case you want to see what it looks like when nature reclaims a place.
From Diepgezet, it’s 15 km to the Josefsdal-Bulembu border post (open 08:00-16:00). It’s a tiny border post with little traffic, and it won’t take more than 10 minutes to cross. Remember your vehicle registration papers (or your bank’s letter for border control) because South African customs won’t let you through without it. On the other side of the border, you’ll pay a road fund of R100 per car.
The first town you’lltown and a lodge where you can stay if you want to climb Eswatini’s highest peak, Emlembe (1 862 m) – a relatively easy fivehour hike from the village.
