Waterval is a residential township in front of Elim Hospital, it is situated in the Hlanganani district of the former Tsonga homeland of Gazankulu, alongside the R578 road to Giyani in the Limpopo province of South Africa.

Waterval includes Njhakanjhaka, Lemana, Elim Hospital, Elim Mall, Hubyeni Shopping centre, Magangeni but excludes Shirley village, which is a separate and stand alone farm, sharing a legal boundary with Waterval and Mbhokota village to the east.

These villages are collectively known as Nkhensani Tribal Authority, under Chief Njhakanjhaka's son, Hosi Chavani.

This western portion of Gazankulu was known as the Tsonga "finger" during the 1950s until the late 1960s by the Apartheid officials of the Department of Bantu Affairs and Development.

From the year 1554 when Lourenco Marques, a Portuguese trader settled on the land of the Tsonga and began to trade between Portugal and Africa.

Vasco Da Gama or the Portuguese have obtained maize from South America where they were in their early stages of massive colonisation of their colony called Portuguese Brazil or modern day Brazil, Maize is indigenous to South America.

Some of the Tsonga traders never returned to the east coast and were given responsibility of taking care of these trading stations.

Some Tsonga traders stayed permanently in the Venda and Pedi villages, never returning to the east coast.

To avoid death and execution at the hands of Soshangane, Njhakanjhaka fled with his people and settle at a place known today as Waterval.

All other chiefs that exist today in Hlanganani were appointed by João Albasini, and that weakened the power of Njhakanjhaka as his chiefdom was reduced into a small village.

The Farm Waterval included the land where Elim Hospital is located and the whole of Njhakanjhaka and Rivoni but excluded Shirley.

During the 1950s until the late 1960s, the land of Waterval, Elim, Shirley, Chavani, Mbhokota, Riverplaats, Nwaxinyamani, Bokisi, Bungeni, Valdezia and Nkuzana was dubbed the 'Tsonga finger'.

It was located in what the Apartheid government considered a White area in the nearby town of Louis Trichardt and forced removal was imminent.

By the late 1960s, as a results of negotiations between the South African government and professor Hudson William Edison Ntsanwisi, the Tsonga finger was annexed to Gazankulu, as well as Elim Hospital.

Chief Njhakanjhaka, Hakamela Tlakula's grandfather and Mr Job Makhubele played a vital role during the establishment of Elim Hospital.

Hakamela Tlakula's grandfather and Mr Job Makhubele owned pieces of land where Elim Hospital is situated.

That is why all the hawkers who are selling in front of Elim Hospital pay rent every month to the Tlakula family.