The opening of the rebuilt Thulamela was attended by a hundred guests, including then Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Pallo Jordan and then SANParks chairman, the late Dr. Enos John Mabuza.

The name Thulamela comes from a portmanteau of thulwi ("mound") and mela ("growing") in references to the tall anthills in the area.

Archaeologists named them King Ingwe and Queen Losha, and their castle was estimated to house 1,000 people.

Similar village ruins can be found in the Mateke Hills on the other side of the Limpopo River in Zimbabwe.

The Makahane Cliffs can be found in the same area of Kruger National Park, northeast of the Punda Maria Gate near the Levubu, and was also a Vhalembethu settlement.