It is 2,419 m (7,936 ft) high and was measured, surveyed and described in 1886 by Henry Edward O'Neill, the British consul in Mozambique.

The area was historically clad in tropical rainforest and is an important biodiversity hotspot with many endemic species of animals and plants.

Mount Namuli was first explored in August 1886 by Henry Edward O'Neill who was the British consul in Mozambique in 1879.

Due to the Mozambican Civil War and poor road access, it was not until 1998 when a South African team of ornithologists were able to explore the forests of Mount Namuli.

In 2024 scientists proposed a new ecoregion, to be called the South East Africa Montane Archipelago (SEAMA), which would include Mount Namuli and other regional inselbergs.