Ngwenya Mine
Ngwenya is the name given to eSwatini's second-largest mountain, which is located in the northeast near the major border gate and resembles a crocodile at first glance. On its summit lies a vast man-made crater, and on its side is the Lion Cavern, a little depression large enough to house a pride of lions. The world's oldest mine, an iron ore mine dating back at least 43,000 years, is located on its southern slope. The mineral extracted here was speculative, a gleaming ore that was traditionally used as body paint by chiefs for ceremonial events. The old mine's only remnant is a small hole in the hillside known as Lion Cavern, which should not be mistaken with the much bigger flooded quarry nearby caused by more contemporary mining activities. A guided tour of the mine is available.
In 2005, the Ngwenya visitor center opened, displaying several fascinating exhibits, including samples of various mineral deposits, archive photographs of early mining days, a life-size diorama of an iron-age smelter in operation, and a British-built steam engine that was shipped to Swaziland in 1913.
The mine's tourist attraction is the Lion Cavern. The Swaziland National Trust Commission (SNTC) and the Swaziland National Museum initiated a petitioning procedure with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco) in 2008 to have the whole mining region declared a World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, the structure was destroyed by fire in late 2018 and has yet to be rebuilt.
Location: On Bomvu Ridge, northwest of Mbabane and near the northwestern border of Eswatini
