Maloti Mountains

Mountain range in Lesotho

The Maloti Mountains are a mountain range of the highlands of the Kingdom of Lesotho. They extend for about 100 km into the South African Free State. The Maloti Range is part of the Drakensberg system that includes ranges across large areas of South Africa. "Maloti" is also the plural for Loti, the currency of the Kingdom of Lesotho. The range forms the northern portion of the boundary between the Butha Buthe District in Lesotho and South Africa's Free State.

The range forms a high alpine basalt plateau up to in height. It is located between Butha Buthe District in Lesotho and the Free State Province of South Africa. The highest point, high Thabana Ntlenyana, is located in the north east of the range. It is the highest peak of Southern Africa, and the highest in Africa south of the Kilimanjaro. The high Namahadipiek, the highest mountain in the Free State, is also part of the Maloti Range. The mountains form a continuous upland area of rounded peaks with incised deep valleys on the flanks which drain into the Senqu River. Snow and frost may be found even in summer on the highest peaks. The sources of two of the principal rivers in South Africa, the Orange River, known as Senqu in Lesotho, and the Tugela River, are in these mountains. Tributaries of the Caledon River, known as Mohokare in Lesotho, which forms the country's western border, also rise here, and the Makhaleng River rises on the flanks of Machache .

The two countries are also largely economically different—with Lesotho being one of the least developed countries in the world and South Africa being among Africa's biggest economies. Socially, Lesotho and the Free State province of South Africa both have Sotho as the dominant culture. Like much of Lesotho, this bioregion is significantly rural and with limited commercial activity. South Africa has established and diversified the economy of the area, using it for agriculture and tourism.

In the early 1980s, officials from Lesotho approached the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (previously known as the Natal Parks Board) to propose the collaborative management of the bioregion to protect its natural and cultural heritage. This eventually led to the signing of the Giant's Castle Declaration in 1997. Since then the two countries have been making a concerted effort towards the protection and sustainable use of the Maloti Drakensberg Mountains.