Greater Giyani

Greater Giyani Local Municipality was established in 1969. It is an administrative and commercial centre of the Mopani district and also the former capital of Gazankulu. Greater Giyani Local Municipality derives its name from the town Giyani, whichis a Tsonga word meaning‘a place where people dance’and‘aland of the friendly people’. Giyani is also rich in cultural history with royal families dating back as far as 1822. The town of Giyani is located approximately 185 km from Polokwane, 100 km from Thohoyandou and 550 km from Pretoria. The municipality covers about 2 967 km2 land area. Its eastern section borders the world famous Kruger National Park,with N’wamankenaVillage to the west, Mphakani Village to the south, and the Klein Letaba River to the north. The Municipality is demarcated into 30 wards and has 60 councillors. The ten traditional authority areas comprise 91 villages. Giyani town is the only town within the municipality and attracts most of the people from around the district.read more »

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Maruleng

The Maruleng Municipality is situated in the south-eastern quadrant of the Limpopo province within the Mopani District Municipal Area of Jurisdiction. The municipal area extends over 324 699ha.

The Maruleng Municipality is bordered by the Kruger National Park to the east, the Ba-Phalaborwa and Tzaneen Municipalities to the north, the LepelleNkumpi Municipality to the west, and the Tubatse Municipality and Bushbuckridge Municipality to the south.

The main access points to the municipal area are considered to be Klaserie and the Strijdom Tunnel in the south, Ofcolaco in the west and Mica in the north. The town of Hoedspruit can be considered the administrative and economic centre of the area. It is also the location of the Hoedspruit Air Force Base.

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Musina

Musina in the Limpopo Valley is the northernmost town in South Africa. Situated close to the Beit Bridge border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe, it is the main entry point into the country from countries north of South Africa. The town developed around the copper mining industry in the area. Copper was first discovered in pre-historic times by the Musina people who named it ‘musina’, meaning ‘spoiler’, because they considered it a poor substitute for iron, which is what they were after. The mineral was later re-discovered and mined by 20th century miners. Today iron, coal, magnetite, graphite, asbestos, diamonds and copper are mined here. With fascinating attractions and many game farms in the area, tourism and hunting play an important role in the economy of the town. The recently declared world heritage site of Mapungubwe (meaning ‘Hill of the Jackal’) is one of the richest archaeological sites in the country. Botanical highlights of the region include fine specimens of baobab trees and impala lilies which are both protected species. Agricultural products include citrus, mangoes, tomatoes and dates.read more »

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Polokwane

Polokwane Municipality is situated in the central part of the Limpopo Province. The municipality shares the name with the biggest town in Limpopo called Polokwane. Locally it shares borders with three other local municipalities within Capricorn District as well as local municipalities in Mopani and Waterberg Districts. It is the largest metropolitan complex in the north and a major economic centre with 38 wards. Its proximity to the neighboring countries of Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland makes it a perfect gateway to Africa and an attractive tourist destination. The settlement types indicates that it is more urban than rural.read more »

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Thabazimbi

Thabazimbi Municipality is located in the south-western part of the Limpopo Province and has Botswana as its international neighbour. It is two hours drive from the City of Tshwane. The municipality has Marakele National Park, which is a subsidiary of the National Parks Board, and in the same standard as the Kruger National Park and Mapungube. The game lodges scattered around the area helps to promote environmental sustainability.read more »

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