Zululand and the Battlefields

The history of Zululand is one of conflict and conquest, of blood and battle, of war and weapons. The Zulu Kingdown flourished under its most famous king Shaka and conquered most of the neighbouring tribes. The Zulus came into conflict with the British and Boers, who were intent on gaining control of the interior and cementing their superiority over the tribes. And the Boers and British also fought each other for control of the country - one such notable battle was that of Spionkop which is part of most tours to the region.

You can visit the battlefields on a guided tour with knowledgeable guides who will help you relive the bloody tussles in graphic and emotional detail. Visit the site of the Battle of Blood River, where the Boers massacred the Zulus so emphatically that the nearby Ncome river turned red with blood. And then learn about Anglo-Zulu conflict by visiting the site of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift - it was here that the British Army suffered their biggest defeat and then their biggest victory all in the course of one day.

On 22 January 1879 using Shaka’s classic chest and horns of the buffalo formation, Cetshwayo and 20,000 of his warriors attacked and defeated Lord Chelmsford’s army at Isandlwana. Many of the British soldiers fled towards Rorkes Drift, where they alerted the mission of the impending Zulu attack. The British force at Rorkes Drift consisted of only 141 soldiers of whom 35 were ailing. By erecting barricades of flour bags and biscuits boxes, they managed to fight for 12 hours until the Zulus fled. More Victoria Crosses were awarded to British soldiers in this battle than any other.

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