Barberton
Hidden away in a corner along the border of South Africa and Swaziland lies a small town of Barberton. It is often overlooked due to its low profile, but it has plenty to offer in terms of location.
Not only is Barberton such a stunning area, with a perfect blend of mountains, lush green vegetation to arid dry landscapes, but this town offers some exclusivity and uniqueness to any production simply because it has not been used before. And if that wasn’t enough, Barberton has a wonderful history of many stories.
Barberton Geo Trail
A historical footprint of over three billion years ago. The Barberton geo-trail is one of UNESCO’s world heritage sites, and it holds geological evidence of the phases our planet went through before becoming Earth as we know it. This geo-trail tells the story of how this rock became earth, and how our continents formed. There is wonderful evidence of the transition with rock formations holding physical records of volcanic activity. Did you know that there is a type of rock in the area – the oldest rock in the world, that was responsible for the first signs of life on earth? We have been through this trail many times, and not only is it one of the most beautiful roads in our country. This is definitely a story worth being told. If you would like to know more about it, contact us and we’d love to delve into it with you!
Barberton Gold Mines
Gold was discovered in Barberton in the late ’80s. This sparked a gold rush and a town was formed. Large amounts of gold were being moved in and out of Barberton and so did the money, with investments, shares and soon the stock exchange opened. This didn’t last very long, unfortunately. More gold was being discovered in other areas west and north, and the inhabitants were drawn away. You can visit the abandoned stock exchange today.
Abandoned Asbestos Mine
Mining began to increase along with the mountain range into eSwatini (previously known as Swaziland). Due to this, one particular town in eSwatini discovered deposits of Asbestos. Back then, this composition was used in a large number of products before becoming outlawed. However, due to its location being in the mountains– the biggest challenge was moving the asbestos. So a cableway was constructed – the longest in the world going at a distance of 20.36km. This extended from Bulembu in eSwatini into Barberton running loads up to 200kg.
However, Asbestos was outlawed later on and the town of Bulembu soon became a ghost town soon after. It has now since become a beautiful village for the locals. The geo trail of Barberton actually ends at the border – just where Bulembu begins.
The cableway is now abandoned but still stands today.
