Mbombela (previously called Nelspruit) is a city in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province. Located on the Crocodile River, Mbombela lies about 110 kilometres (68 mi) by road west of the Mozambique border, 330 kilometres (210 mi) east of Johannesburg and about 82 kilometres (51 mi) North of the Eswatini border, Mbombela was one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Mbombela was founded as Nelspruit in 1895 by three brothers of the Nel family who grazed their cattle around the site during the winter months. During the Boer War, it served briefly as the seat of government for the South African Republic (not to be confused with the Republic of South Africa), an independent Boer republic.
The settlement was a key stopover for the Eastern railway built by the Netherlands-South African Railway Company in the late 19th century which ran from the newly discovered Witwatersrand goldfields to Delagoa Bay (modern day Maputo) in Portuguese East Africa (modern day Mozambique).
The discovery of gold in the region at places like Pilgrim’s Rest and Barberton, Mpumalanga further encouraged development.
Mbombela and the surrounding area contain San art.