Ziwa Ruins

The country around Ziwa carries one of the largest concentrations of agricultural stonework in southern Africa: hillsides terraced with drystone walls over many square kilometres, along with enclosures, water furrows and the pit structures that were built into homesteads, generally interpreted as byres for small stock. The building is attributed to farming communities of roughly the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries. A small site museum stands at Ziwa.

What's there

• The terraced hillsides - drystone agricultural terracing over a very large area.
• The pit structures - stone-lined pits built into homesteads, probably for stock.
• The water furrows - the irrigation channels running along the slopes.
• The site museum - the small collection interpreting the landscape.

When to go

April to October is the dry season and best for walking the site. Grass hides much of the stonework after the rains. Mornings are coolest.

Things to know

The remains are low walls spread over a very large area and take a guide or a plan to read. The museum is small and often unstaffed. Access tracks are rough.

Nearby

Nyanga is south, and Mount Nyangani is southeast.