It is unclear where the name Shingwedzi comes from, but the local people believe it is named after Tsonga people who used to live in the area. Shingwedzi is believed to be a combination of ‘Shing-za-goli’ (the name of the leader in the group) and ‘Njwetse’, which describes the sound you hear when iron is rubbed together.
In the heart of lush mopane veld, this is prime elephant country. During the 1970’s and-80’s, most of the Kruger’s so-called tuskers – thus named because of their enormous teeth and widely known as the Magnificent Seven – came from this region. Onebulls, with some tusks weighing as much as 64.4kg each! The tusks of all members of the Magnificent Seven can be seen in the museum in Letaba rest camp.
