region in Zimbabwe
Africa > Southern Africa > Zimbabwe > Matabeleland

Matabeleland is a region in the southwest and west of Zimbabwe. It is inhabited by the Ndebele people, who settled here in the mid-1800s.

Cities

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Map
Map of Matabeleland

Other destinations

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The Mother and Child rock in Matabo.

Understand

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Southern Matabeleland is for the greater portion of the year hot and dusty.

Baobab trees are common, as are mopani. The grasslands glow in the deep afternoon sun.

Get in

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The main border crossing with South Africa is at 1 Beitbridge on Wikipedia. National road A4/R1 leads to Harare while A6 is the main road into Matabeleland, linking Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.

Get around

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  • See the rock formation at Balla Balla.
  • Visit Chipingali Wildlife Orphanage.

Itineraries

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The largest town in Matabeleland is Bulawayo, renowned for its wide streets built to allow a wagon with a 10-oxen team to do a U-turn. Bulawayo has an airport, which makes it an ideal starting point. From Bulawayo one can travel south to Matobo for a day's slow drive through the exotic landscapes, or westward to Khami Ruins, to see miniature versions of the stone ruins found at Great Zimbabwe.

A local delicacy is the mopani worm: these caterpillars are dried in the sun, and sold as a snack food. The staple food is mealie meal, made into a stiff porridge known as "sadza".

Drink

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Stay safe

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Go next

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This region travel guide to Matabeleland is an outline and may need more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. If there are Cities and Other destinations listed, they may not all be at usable status or there may not be a valid regional structure and a "Get in" section describing all of the typical ways to get here. Please plunge forward and help it grow!