The approximate boundaries of the Soutpansberg Region include the Tropic of Capricorn to the south, the Limpopo River to the North, the Magalakwen River to the West and the Kruger Park/Mozambique border to the east. The most prominent features of this area are the mountains - Soutpansberg (named after the large salt pans found at the base of the north-western slopes of the mountain) - and the Limpopo River system, the life blood of the arid mopaneveld.
As the region consists of a combination of plains, mountain areas, bushveld and subtropical lowveld, agriculture vary greatly from crops like potatoes, tomatoes and other vegetables to cotton, paprika, bananas, avocados, mangoes, litchis, papaws, pineapples and various nuts. In the old Venda there are a number of tea and coffee plantations. The northern region is mainly cattle country with game farming becoming increasingly popular.
Due to the various habitats in the area, a unique diversity of fauna and flora occur. In the Soutpansberg alone 540 species of trees are to be found and it is believed that 600 species occur in the entire region. Notable is that at least 30 species of trees are endemic to the Soutpansberg alone with 20 or more species in the Limpopo Valley.
Although not much is known about the smaller fauna, at least species one of butterfly, Swanepoel's Widow (Dira swanepoeli), is endemic to the area. There are 8 endemic reptile and one amphibian species.
The area is a birder's paradise and at Hanglip the Knysna Lourie, the Purple-crested Lourie and the Narina Trogon are to be seen in one spot if you are patient. A variety of raptors also occur in the area as there are at least 300000 hectares of land incorprated as 2 raptor conservancies. All common mammals occur in the area.
Since winters in the area are moderate and temperatures in summer warm, it has become a popular winter vacation area. The summer temperature varies from Mussina in the north - 30,4C average - to Louis Trichardt with a summer average of 24,6C. In Mussina winter temperature averages 25C, whilst Louis Trichardt experiences an average of 20C.
The area has a rich diversity of Peoples of whom the VhaVenda, maShangaan, isiSotho and Afrikaner are the main cultural groups. The main centres in the area are Makado (formerly Louis Trichardt), Thohoyandou, Musina and Levubu.
