The ultimate Heritage Month experiences can be found at Babanango Game Reserve in Zululand, where its signature Battlefields Tour brings history to life. Located in the sacred eMakhosini Valley (Valley of the Kings) and iconic Zulu battlegrounds, Babanango is more than just a safari experience. Its rich history of epic battles, natural wonders, and spiritual sites converges into a memorable heritage experience found throughout the reserve.
History of Babanango Game Reserve
Babanango Game Reserve is a living record of human history spanning more than two million years. From the earliest Oldowan and Acheulian stone tools of the Early Stone Age (between 1.5 / 2 million years to 250 000 years ago) to the art, implements, and open-air camps of the Late Stone Age (30 000 to 2 000 years ago), the reserve shows the gradual evolution of humanity.
Middle Stone Age (250 000 to 25 000 years ago) evidence signifies advanced hunting practices and behavioural innovations, while San rock art and geometric engravings from later periods reflect the spiritual and symbolic worlds of early communities. Although some phases, like the Howiesons Poort, are absent, the density of archaeological sites at Babanango shows its importance as a centre of continuous human occupation.
Around 800 years ago, the Late Iron Age brought the arrival of Nguni-speaking farmers whose descendants shaped much of modern southern Africa. Their settlement patterns, kraal architecture, and pottery reflect social identity, status, and ancestral ties, while sites at Babanango also trace the rise of communities like the Buthelezi, Mthethwa, and Zulu.
The reserve is also home to evidence of colonial incursions, missionary influence, the 1906 Bambatha Rebellion, mining ventures, and forced removals under apartheid, each leaving imprints on the land. Today, Babanango’s landscape both conserves biodiversity and safeguards the cultural legacy of Zululand’s ancestors.
Anglo-Zulu Battlefields Tour
From Babanango Game Reserve, you can enjoy a full-day historical tour that transfers you back to 1879, a year central to South Africa’s heritage. The Anglo-Zulu War was a conflict of courage, strategy, and tragedy, with its most famous battles — Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift — brought to life through a guided Babanango Battlefield Tour.
At Isandlwana, you will stand where Zulu warriors achieved a dramatic victory against the British forces. Moving to Rorke’s Drift, you’ll be taken back to the historic day when a small British garrison mounted an overnight defence. This is a story immortalised in military history and representative of the resilience shown on both sides.
The tour also includes a breathtaking panoramic view from Nqutu Ridge, giving visitors a unique vantage point to appreciate the terrain that played such a critical role in shaping the outcomes of battle.
Battlefield Tour Details
- Duration: Full Day
- Minimum Age: 12 years
- Group Size: 2–4 people
Heritage Sites Across the Reserve
While the Battlefields Tour is one of our signature heritage experiences, the reserve is a vast open-air museum with more than 2 million years of human history! Here are some of the archaeological and cultural sites to explore.
Inkosi Nsubeni’s Hideaway Cave
Halfway up Isigubudu Mountain is a dramatic cave where Inkosi Nsubeni and his people once took refuge from their enemies in this natural fortress. Oral tradition preserves its story, while the setting itself offers a breathtaking view of the valleys below. Standing here, you can envision the struggles and bravery of those who sought protection within its walls.
High-Status Settlement
On a hill along Kwangono Road, the remains of a 19th-century umuzi (homestead) reveal a community once led by a person of high status – possibly an inkosi or an induna. Stone walls, kraal structures, and cairn graves are evidence of a thriving settlement, while grinding stones and pottery shards connect us to the everyday life of its inhabitants. This site shows the sophistication of precolonial social organisation, representing how communities lived, worked, and honoured their dead.
Dassie Rock
For generations, Dassie Rock has been used as a sacred space for ancestral communication. Pottery shards, ritual bowls, and offerings reveal its role as a place of prayer and divination, often linked to rainmaking practices. As none of the pottery is decorated, it’s believed to post-date the 1820s. Spiritual leaders burned imphepho here – a fragrant plant used to reach the ancestors – opening communication between the physical and spiritual worlds. The site also connects to much older San traditions, highlighting how spiritual practices evolve yet remain tied to the land.
Late Iron Age Engravings
Dolerite boulders scattered across the reserve have intricate engravings and designs, some hundreds of years old. Among the most striking are cloud motifs, which are thought to represent kraals, cattle herds, and maize fields. These engravings record ancient community life, illustrating the importance of agriculture and livestock in Nguni-speaking societies. Their endurance across time reminds us how art and symbolism preserve cultural memory.
Rock Art and San Spirituality
Perhaps the most impactful of all Babanango’s heritage sites are the fading rock paintings of eland, painted thousands of years ago by San hunter-gatherers. The eland was central to San cosmology, symbolising fertility, spirituality, and survival. Beneath the paintings, a simple enamel plate is placed as an offering showing that, even today, local people connect with ancestors and honour traditions at this sacred site. This blend of ancient art and modern practice creates a powerful sense of continuity.
The Benefit of Heritage Tours
- Lived Experience: Babanango’s historical tours are a great way for you to fully experience the history and culture of the region, while celebrating South Africa’s heritage. These are not clinical lectures or artefacts showcased in a museum, but lived experiences in the open air.
- Incredible Insight: Knowledgeable guides will weave together oral tradition, archaeology, and cultural history to create tours that are both educational and deeply moving.
- Variety of Sites: From the battlefields to the caves, Babanango is home to a wide variety of heritage experiences that take you back to a time when warriors fought, where ancient people lived, and dreams came to life.
- Community Support: Because the reserve is co-owned by local community trusts, each booking contributes directly to community development, conservation, and cultural preservation. By joining these tours, you’re helping safeguard heritage while empowering the communities who live alongside it.
Book Your Journey into the Past
Heritage Month is about honouring where we come from while building a shared future. At Babanango, every battlefield, kraal, and engraved stone carries the voices of those who walked before us. Book a tour and celebrate Heritage Month this September!
Note: Tours are subject to prior arrangement and weather conditions. Our knowledgeable guides will provide updates on any changes.