Nelspruit | |
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A view of the CBD of Nelspruit as seen from the Steiltes suburb
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Nickname(s): eNaspoti, Citrus City, Gateway to the Lowveld | |
Motto: City of Excellence | |
Nelspruit shown within Mpumalanga | |
Coordinates: 25°27′57″S 30°59′07″E / 25.46583°S 30.98528°ECoordinates: 25°27′57″S 30°59′07″E / 25.46583°S 30.98528°E | |
Country | South Africa |
Province | Mpumalanga |
District | Ehlanzeni |
Municipality | City of Mbombela |
Established | 1905 |
Area | |
• Total | 72.63 km2 (28.04 sq mi) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 58,672 |
• Density | 810/km2 (2,100/sq mi) |
Racial makeup (2011) | |
• Black African | 41.1% |
• Coloured | 4.1% |
• Indian/Asian | 4.9% |
• White | 49.3% |
• Other | 0.6% |
First languages (2011) | |
• Afrikaans | 40.7% |
• English | 22.4% |
• Swazi | 20.2% |
• Tsonga | 4.7% |
• Other | 12.1% |
Postal code (street) | 1200 |
PO box | 1200 |
Area code | 013 |
Website | www |
Nelspruit (UK /ˈnɛlsˌprɔɪt/) is a city in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province. Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about 110 kilometres (68 mi) by road west of the Mozambique border, 330 kilometres (210 mi) east of Johannesburg and about 82 kilometres (51mi) North of the Swaziland border.
Nelspruit was founded in 1895 by three brothers of the Nel family who grazed their cattle around the site of Nelspruit during the winter months. During the Boer War, Nelspruit served briefly as the seat of government for the South African Republic (not to be confused with the Republic of South Africa), an independent Boer republic. The leadership of the South African Republic included Paul Kruger.
The settlement was a key stopover for the Eastern railway built by the Netherlands-South African Railway Company in the late 19th century which ran from the newly discovered Witwatersrand goldfields to Delagoa Bay (modern day Maputo) in Portuguese East Africa (modern day Mozambique).