Mafinga Hills

The Mafinga Hills are a plateau covered by hills, situated on the border between Zambia and Malawi, in Southern Africa. These hills are composed of quartzites, phyllites and feldspathic sandstones of sedimentary origin.

This plateau has the highest point in Zambia, 2,339-metre (7,674 ft) Mafinga Central. It once formed a formidable barrier between the Northern and Eastern Provinces that few but the best 4-wheel drive vehicles dared to cross, especially during the rainy season. The shortest road link between the two provinces is now eased by the rehabilitation of the Isoka-Muyombe Road, which traverses their lower slopes. As Muyombe is the district capital of the newly formed Mafinga District, any expedition to the Mafinga Hills would be wise to use Muyombe as a starting point (two guesthouses are available). Besides going through Isoka, Muyombe can also be accessed from the south via Chama, though this road passes briefly through Western Malawi's Vwasa Wildlife Reserve, or from the East via the Malawian town of Bolero on route S104. As there are no fueling stations near Muyombe, except for in Lundazi, Nakonde, or Rhumpi (Malawi), it is advisable that at least one vehicle's full tank of fuel be carried in jerrycans from one of these fueling stations into the Mafinga Hills. Note that the roads into the Mafinga Hills are passable in the dry season even in small vehicles, though needing high clearance and speeding along at 20-30 kph, but probably impassable in the rainy season even with a 4-wheel drive vehicle.