Graskop

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title: "Graskop" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-the-thaba-chweu-local-municipality", "mining-communities-in-south-africa"] topic_path: "geography/south-africa" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graskop" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
nameGraskop
image_captionShops along the main street of Graskop
pushpin_mapSouth Africa Mpumalanga#South Africa
coordinates
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameSouth Africa
subdivision_type1Province
subdivision_name1Mpumalanga
subdivision_type2District
subdivision_name2Ehlanzeni
subdivision_type3Municipality
subdivision_name3Thaba Chweu
subdivision_type4Main Place
established_titleEstablished
leader_titleCouncillor
area_footnotes
area_total_km235.01
elevation_m1436
population_footnotes
population_total3996
population_as_of2011
population_density_km2auto
demographics_type1
demographics1_footnotes
demographics1_title1Black African
demographics1_info161.2%
demographics1_title2Coloured
demographics1_info213.0%
demographics1_title3Indian/Asian
demographics1_info30.9%
demographics1_title4White
demographics1_info422.9%
demographics1_title5Other
demographics1_info52.0%
demographics_type2
demographics2_footnotes
demographics2_title1Afrikaans
demographics2_info129.4%
demographics2_title2Northern Sotho
demographics2_info222.0%
demographics2_title3Sotho
demographics2_info314.8%
demographics2_title4English
demographics2_info410.9%
demographics2_title5Other
demographics2_info522.8%
timezone1
utc_offset1+2
postal_code_typePostal code (street)
postal_code1270
postal2_code_typePO box
postal2_code1270
area_code_typeArea code
area_code013
::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Graskop,_Mpumalanga,South_Africa(20328207250).jpg" caption="A street in Graskop" alt="A street in Graskop"] ::

| name = Graskop | image_caption = Shops along the main street of Graskop | pushpin_map = South Africa Mpumalanga#South Africa | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = South Africa | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Mpumalanga | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Ehlanzeni | subdivision_type3 = Municipality | subdivision_name3 = Thaba Chweu | subdivision_type4 = Main Place | established_title = Established | leader_title = Councillor | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 35.01 | elevation_m = 1436 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 3996 | population_as_of = 2011 | population_density_km2 = auto | demographics_type1 = Racial makeup (2011) | demographics1_footnotes = | demographics1_title1 = Black African | demographics1_info1 = 61.2% | demographics1_title2 = Coloured | demographics1_info2 = 13.0% | demographics1_title3 = Indian/Asian | demographics1_info3 = 0.9% | demographics1_title4 = White | demographics1_info4 = 22.9% | demographics1_title5 = Other | demographics1_info5 = 2.0% | demographics_type2 = First languages (2011) | demographics2_footnotes = | demographics2_title1 = Afrikaans | demographics2_info1 = 29.4% | demographics2_title2 = Northern Sotho | demographics2_info2 = 22.0% | demographics2_title3 = Sotho | demographics2_info3 = 14.8% | demographics2_title4 = English | demographics2_info4 = 10.9% | demographics2_title5 = Other | demographics2_info5 = 22.8% | timezone1 = SAST | utc_offset1 = +2 | postal_code_type = Postal code (street) | postal_code = 1270 | postal2_code_type = PO box | postal2_code = 1270 | area_code_type = Area code | area_code = 013 Graskop is a small town in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. It was established in the 1880s as a gold mining camp but it now serves as a tourist destination and the timber industry. “God’s Window”, a scenic view from the escarpment of the Lowveld below, is located outside the town. Graskop is 14 km south-east of Pilgrim's Rest and 28 km north of Sabie. The name is Afrikaans for grassy hillock. It is the best place to view the "Edge of the Lowveld", with a sudden drop of 700 metres.

History

Rock paintings and other archaeological sites in the Graskop area indicate that people have lived in the area for thousands of years. Evidence from an archaeological site 40 km from the town has been dated to show hunter gather occupation 27 000 years ago.

Early ethnographical studies indicate that the wider Graskop area was inhabited by Eastern Sotho groups (Pulana, Kutswe and Pai), and the Tsonga people since before the 19th century. In the 1800s, when Swazi cheifdoms expanded north into the lowveld, groups of Pai people fled to caves in the Graskop area. Historically, diverse groups of people traveled between the highveld and the lowveld using footpaths along the route that became Kowyn's Pass, which connects Graskop to Bushbuckridge. The pass is named after Pulana chief, Kobêng, who had a homestead halfway down the pass.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Rock_painting_of_a_bovid_in_Mpumalanga_South_Africa.png" caption="Percy Fitzpatrick]] established a camp in Graskop in the 1880s at Paradise Camp."] ::

One kilometer outside the town is a natural bridge, formed of dolomite that crosses the Mac Mac River. In the colonial era, voortrekkers and settlers used the bridge to cross the river with their wagons.

The first trading store in Graskop was established by Max Carl Gustav Liebnitz in 1902.

In the early 1910s, a railway line was built between the Graskop area and Nelspruit to transport supplies to Pilgrim's Rest. Graskop was declared a town on 12 September 1914.

Government

Graskop is a town within the Taba Chewu Local Municipality, which is within the wider Ehlanzeni District Municipality. The municipality is lead by the African National Congress.

File:Thaba Chweu Municipality - Graskop Administration Unit.jpg|Thaba Chweu Local Municipality - Graskop Administration Unit

Tourism

Graskop has become a popular tourism destination. It is located on the Panorama Route, which many tourists visit to view waterfalls and vistas of the Mpumalanga escaparment. The town is close to the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, God's Window, Berlin Falls, the Pinnacle and Bourke's Luck Potholes.

Gallery

File:Graskop Street Vendor, Mpumalanga, South Africa (20329418179).jpg|Crafts for sale in Graskop File:Pancakes in Graskop (5683818944).jpg|Graskop is known for its pancakes File:Give the world a finger - Gods Window Area, Mpumalanga (36427414540).jpg|The Pinnacle, a landmark near Graskop File:Blyde rivier God's Window 06.jpg|God's Window, a viewpoint near Graskop File:Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve (ZA), Blyde River -- 2024 -- 0002.jpg|Bourkes Luck Potholes, near Graskop File:Berlin Falls IMG 2556.JPG|Berlin Falls, close to Graskop

References

References

  1. "Main Place Graskop". Census 2011.
  2. "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council.
  3. Maseko, Attwood, Hollmann, Mduduzi I, Simon, Jeremy C. (April 2024). "ELEPHANTS IN THE ROCK PAINTINGS OF NORTH-EASTERN MPUMALANGA AND ESWATINI". The Digging Stick.
  4. Porraz, Guillaume. (2019). "Heuningneskrans and the Stone Age Sequence of the Ohrigstad River Catchment on the Eastern Border of the Great Escarpment, Limpopo Province, South Africa". The South African Archaeological Bulletin.
  5. Van Wyk Rowe, Christine. (2022). "SPECIALIST REPORT PHASE 1 ARCHAEOLOGICAL / HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR THE GOD’S WINDOW SKYWALK PROJECT ON PORTION 2 OF THE FARM LISBON 531KT & THE FARM DE HOUTBOSCH 503KT, GRASKOP, MPUMALANGA". Adansonia Heritage Consultants.
  6. superfast11. (2018-09-20). "Natural Bridge".
  7. "Graskop: History of the town of Graskop, Panorama, Mpumalanga, South Africa".
  8. "Graskop: History of the town of Graskop, Panorama, Mpumalanga, South Africa".
  9. "Graskop: Panorama, Mpumalanga, South Africa".

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