Bulembu
An asbestos company town in the northwest, abandoned and then reoccupied as a charity project.
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Bulembu was built as a company town for the Havelock asbestos mine, which ran from the 1930s and at its height was one of the largest asbestos operations in the world, with a cableway carrying ore twenty kilometres to Barberton. The mine closed in 2001 and the town emptied. It was bought whole in 2006 by a charity that has reoccupied the houses and reopened businesses as a children's project.
What you actually see
- The company town - streets of mine housing laid out in the 1930s.
- The mine workings - the remains of the Havelock operation above the town.
- The cableway line - the route of the twenty kilometre ore ropeway to Barberton.
- The reoccupation - a charity running the town as a children's project since 2006.
When to go
April to September is drier and the mountain road is safer. Summer mist closes the road at times. Winter mornings at this altitude are cold.
Honest expectations
Asbestos residue means marked areas must not be entered. The road up is steep gravel and difficult in wet weather. The town is a working project and access to parts of it is by arrangement.
Nearby
Emlembe is south, and Piggs Peak is southeast.
What to pack for Bulembu
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.