Plizio Visual Lab

Malkerns

Plizio editorial teamUpdated: Jun 2026Data Sources

City

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Practical info — Malkerns

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🌤 Weather — 5 days

📍 Nearby

Sights nearby

💡 Tips

Visit the 'Swazi Candles' factory to watch how the intricate candles are shaped by hand.
The valley is the heart of the pineapple industry; buy fresh fruit from the roadside stalls for the best price.
Check out 'House on Fire', a world-class and uniquely designed venue for arts and music.
Malkerns is a great, quieter base for exploring the nearby Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary.
Allow plenty of time for the various craft centers; many offer live demonstrations of their work.

🍽 Food

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Pineapple Specialties

Try homemade pineapple desserts or fresh juices at local valley restaurants using fruit from the nearby fields.

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Artisan Cheese and Bread

Find high-quality local cheeses and fresh pastries at the farm shops around Malandela’s.

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Eswatini Craft Beer

Served at House on Fire and Malandela’s, look for locally brewed beers that are first-rate for the sunny weather.

🛍 Shopping · 🧘 Quiet spots

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Swazi Candles

World-famous animal-shaped candles that serve as beautiful decorative art pieces.

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Baobab Batik

Handmade textiles and clothing featuring traditional batik techniques with modern designs.

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Gone Rural

High-quality woven baskets and home accessories made from local Lutindzi grass.

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Malandela’s Gardens

Beautifully landscaped gardens that are great for a relaxing stroll or a quiet sit.

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Pineapple Field Paths

The tracks along the edges of the plantations offer wide views and peace in nature.

Malkerns sits in the fertile Malkerns Valley between Manzini and Lobamba and is considered the creative heart of Eswatini. The valley was developed in the early 20th century by Briton Allister Miller, who established the first commercial pineapple and citrus plantations here. Today the valley is world-famous for its Swazi Gold pineapples, processed at the Swaziland Fruit Canners factory into juice and preserves for export markets. The real star of Malkerns, however, is the 'House on Fire' arts venue, an extravagant Jiggs Thorne-designed structure built from recycled timber, stone and glass, which every May or June hosts the internationally renowned Bushfire Festival of music, theatre and visual arts. Malkerns also hosts Swazi Candles, a famous candle workshop, and Gone Rural, a craft enterprise employing more than 700 rural women who weave traditional sisal products sold worldwide. The valley is scenically beautiful, framed by the Mdimba Mountains and offering horse-riding trails, hiking paths and views toward the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary.

Location: Eswatini
Nearby: Matsapha (16 km)
Population: ~9.724 (2024)

Best time to visit & climate

The most pleasant time to visit is Apr, Sep, Oct.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg °C	23	23	22	19	17	15	14	17	20	21	22	23
Rain mm	137	96	86	53	16	10	12	13	29	59	104	122

Geography

Population

9,724 (2024)

Coordinates

-26.56670, 31.18330

Facts

Malkerns is located at an average elevation of approximately 750 meters above sea level.
The town hosts Eswatini Fruit Canners, the nation's largest exporter of canned pineapples.
The MTN Bushfire Festival attracts over 20,000 visitors from around the world annually.
Swazi Candles was established in 1982 and exports handmade products globally.
Irrigation for the valley is significantly supported by the Great Usutu River.
The region is regarded as one of the most important economic drivers for Eswatini's tourism sector.