In Eswatini, such an improbably congested itinerary is perfectly possible. This tiny nation (at just 17,300 square km, it’s the smallest continental country in the southern hemisphere) offers all those African staples in convenient proximity. Indeed, it is the very embodiment of those travel clichés: “small is beautiful”, “best-kept secret” and “Africa in a nutshell”.
Unsure exactly where we’re talking about? Check the map and you’ll find Eswatini towards the top right-hand corner of South Africa, surrounded on three sides by its huge neighbour and to the east by Mozambique. Many assume that this landlocked nation is part of South Africa. However, it has been independent since 1968, when it shrugged off the mantle of British Protectorate. In 2018, it shed any lingering colonial connotations by changing its name from Swaziland to Eswatini – literally, “the home of the Swazis”.
Despite this 21st-century reboot, Eswatini remains steeped in its past. And small wonder, with such a rich heritage. At more than 40,000 years old, the iron ore diggings at Crocodile Mines constitute the world’s oldest mine, and the hills are emblazoned with Stone Age rock art at sites such as Nswinui. Contemporary Swazis are descended from those who fled north during the Zulu Mfecane conflicts of the early 1800s. Their language (siSwati) and culture are thus founded on those of their Zulu forebears.
Today, Eswatini remains Africa’s only absolute monarchy – ruled by Mswati III, who took the throne in 1986. While, in political terms, this arrangement is somewhat anachronistic, it explains much of the kingdom’s visitor appeal, with traditional culture celebrated here on a serious scale. In the A reedor Reed Dance, ceremony – the nation’s largest festival – thousands of girls in traditional costume converge in dancing, ululating columns on the royal parade grounds of Ludzidzini, led by spear-wielding, leopard skin-clad warriors. It’s a jaw-dropping spectacle.