San rock art and Iron Age archaeological evidence indicate the area has a long history of human habitation.

Construction for the Mpumalanga legislature revealed farming settlements, storage pits, burial sites, and pottery ranging from the 6th to 17th century.

[3] The presence of cattle bones at the Riverside site is thought to be evidence that early Nguni practices of labola originated in eastern South Africa.

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 in Portuguese East Africa (modern-day Maputo, Mozambique).

Under Apartheid’s policy of separate development, Black people were forcibly removed from the town to Lekazi, Kanyamazane, and other outlying areas as menial labour reserve.

[5] In the early 1970s, Nelpark was formed as a Coloured district and Valencia Park as a South Asian area in the town.

[6] Youth centres, public amenities, and schools such as Nelspruit Laerskool were reserved for the town’s white population.

[7] The Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism subsequently approached the High Court of South Africa to challenge the decision, citing a lack of both consultation and city funds available to pay for roadsign and website name changes.

[13] The Tshwane University of Technology has a satellite campus in the city with over 1,500 students, and UNISA has an office offering online courses.

The city is home to the Agricultural Research Council's Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Crops and the Lowveld National Botanical Garden.

[16] Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, located about 27 km (17 mi) north east of the city, began operations in October 2002.

Other tourism attractions nearby include Sudwala Caves, and God's Window in the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, a lookout point which provides a panoramic view over the famous Drakensberg Escarpment.

[21] The stadium hosted four 2010 FIFA World Cup matches and is the current home of the Pumas rugby team.

[25] Mbombela has its own version of concert in the park with annual performances by musicians in the Lowveld National Botanical Gardens.

[citation needed] The city has a strong consumer-based retail industry boosted significantly by neighbouring Mozambican and Swazi tourists.

Fertile soils and the subtropical climate provide perfect conditions for the growing of citrus and tropical fruits, mainly mango, banana, avocado, papaya and macadamia nuts.

[28] The city features a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa) with mild winters and hot summers.