Pretoria to Maputo Road Trip

This is the direct N4 and EN4 run from Pretoria to Maputo. The road crosses the Lowveld and the Lebombo border before ending on Maputo’s beachfront.

Highlights include:

• Starting at the Union Buildings in Pretoria
• Refuelling on the N4 in Middelburg
• Taking a break among the subtropical gardens of Mbombela
• Buying fresh fruit or nuts at Malelane Citrus Padstal
• Crossing from Lebombo into Mozambique at Ressano Garcia
• Walking through the cannons and old walls of Maputo Fortress
• Finishing with cafés and Indian Ocean views at Costa do Sol

multi-country road trip from Pretoria to Maputo (526 km, about 7 hours driving). Plan this trip with Sideroads Africa.

Stops along the way

• Union Buildings: Iconic Pretoria landmark and start of the classic N4 drive east toward Mozambique.
• Engen Middelburg N4: Reliable N4 fuel and shop stop in Middelburg on the Pretoria–Maputo highway run.
• Mbombela Lowveld Stop: Lowveld capital break on the N4 — subtropical gardens and a natural pause before Kruger country and the border.
• Malelane Citrus Padstal: Lowveld farm stall near Kruger Gate selling fresh subtropical fruits and nuts
• Crocodile Country Inn: Comfortable N4 lodge near the Kruger Crocodile Bridge gate
• Lebombo Border Post: South African border post at Komatipoort linking the N4 to Mozambique’s EN4 toward Maputo.
• Ressano Garcia: Mozambique entry town just across from Lebombo — first stop on the EN4 corridor into Maputo.
• Maputo Fortress (Fortaleza): 17th-century Portuguese fort on Maputo’s waterfront — cannons, colonial walls, and a compact history stop in the capital.
• Maputo Costa do Sol: Maputo’s classic beachfront strip with cafés and Indian Ocean views — a natural end to the Pretoria–Maputo drive.

multi-country road trips · Guides · Sideroads Africa planner