“Has No One Claimed This Land?“: Ancient Stone City in Mpumalanga Leaves Mzansi Stunned

• Ancient stone circles in Mpumalanga reveal a thriving Bokoni civilisation that reshaped the escarpment landscape centuries before colonisation
• The Blaauboschkraal ruins stretch across vast grasslands and shows evidence of advanced farming and cattle systems rarely taught in schools
• Social media users expressed pride after learning about the forgotten heritage site through a viral Instagram clip

A video of ancient precolonial ruins in Mpumalanga has gripped Mzansi after an Instagram user shared footage from the historic site.

The clip, posted on 8 February 2026 by @rubenuitenweerde, showed sprawling stone circles and terraces at the Blaauboschkraal Stone Ruins near Waterval Boven.

The ruins are believed to have been built by the Bokoni people between the 16th and 19th centuries. Historians believe the community settled the high-altitude grasslands to farm and raise cattle. They reshaped the landscape with stone-walled homesteads and agricultural terraces. The structures were formed by carefully packing local stone without mortar, which created durable enclosures that have survived for centuries.

Read also

"What went wrong?": Mzansi in disbelief as Johannesburg mall shuts down after last store closes

A Lost African Civilisation in Plain Sight

The Bokoni people are believed to have been skilled agriculturalists. They built long stone terraces along hillsides to prevent soil erosion and improve crop production. This method allowed them to grow sorghum and other grains in difficult terrain. The circular stone enclosures were used as cattle kraals and living spaces.

Archaeological research suggests the settlements formed part of a wider network stretching across roughly 150 square kilometres along the Mpumalanga escarpment. Trade routes likely connected Bokoni communities with neighbouring groups. Evidence also shows that they exchanged goods such as iron tools and livestock.

The site was officially declared a national monument on 18 April 1975. Today, it is recognised as a provincial heritage site. Despite its status, experts have warned that some of the stone circles face threats from erosion and livestock grazing. Preservation efforts have increased in recent years as awareness grows.

See the Instagram video here:

Read also

“He causes unnecessary traffic”: Mysol’s luxury convoy in Marikana leaves Mzansi fuming

Mzansi weighs in on the discovery

Briefly News compiled comments across Facebook and Instagram where the video was shared.

Instagram user @crazy_liam_crazer wrote:

“I’ve passed that often on my way to Nelspruit. Unfortunately, today these sites are often victims of vandalism.”

Another Instagram user @sym.craig commented:

“Has no one claimed this land? Stranger things.😜”

Facebook user Ramarumo Maganyele said:

“We still got them. I stay around Jane Furse, Limpopo, and we used to put cows in those rounds.”

Dumisani Duma wrote:

“We used to build like that in Lesotho. Even the kettle kraals are built like that. I am a Sotho guy, so I can relate to this.”

Tebza Throne Leader Matsebe said:

“Bapedi owns the large land of Mpumalanga. My great-great-grandfather settled in a place called Magamatala, which is now called Graskop.”

More articles about Mzansi heritage

• A group of people shared with the public that they identify as 'Southgerian' and provided a brief definition.
• A South African woman explored her family heritage through an Ancestry DNA test. She reflected on her cultural roots and what the results meant for her identity, which stirred mixed feelings.
• A TikTok video showed South Africans in Hong Kong celebrating Heritage Day in advance, wearing traditional clothing and dancing to local music.

Source: Briefly News