Mbombela, formerly Nelspruit, is a city situated at the intersection of the R40 Provincial Route and R104 Regional Route in the northeastern part of the Mpumalanga province of South Africa.
Mbombela is the capital of the Mpumalanga province, as well as the administrative seat of both the City of Mbombela Local Municipality and the Ehlanzeni District Municipality.
Mbombela is situated on the Crocodile River. The city lies approximately 110 km by road west of the Mozambique border, 82 km north of the Eswatini border, and 330 km east of Johannesburg. Mbombela was one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
In October 2009, the South African government renamed the city “Mbombela”, the name of the local municipality.
The Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism subsequently approached the High Court of South Africa to challenge the decision, citing a lack of both consultation and sufficient funds available to pay for road sign and website name changes.
Ultimately, the name change was upheld in May 2014 by the North Gauteng High Court. Mbombela means “many people together in a small space” in Siswati.
Suburbs and townships
The list below includes suburbs within the city proper of Mbombela as well as surrounding satellite townships and villages:
- West Acres
- Steiltes
- Sonheuwel
- Riverside
- Alkmaar
- Nelsville
- Valencia Park
- Nelindia
- Stonehenge
- Kaapschehoop
- Kamagugu
- KaNyamazane
- Vintonia
- The Rest
- Nelspruit Central (CBD)
- Ngodwana
- Pumlanga
- KaNyamazane
- Pienaar
- Schagen
- KaBokweni
- Matsulu
- Karino
- Masoyi
- KaMsogwaba
