Ethekwini

eThekwini Municipality is located on the east coast of South Africa in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).  The Municipality spans an area of approximately 2 297km² and is home to some 3,5 million people.  It consists of a diverse society, which faces various social, economic, environmental, and governance challenges.

As a result it strives to address these challenges, which means meeting the needs of an ever-increasing population.  The population of the metro, with reference to Census 2011 is 3 442 361.  The population has grown by 1,08 % from 2001 to 2011 as against 2,34% from 1996 to 2001.

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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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Greater Letaba

Greater Letaba Local Municipality (GLM) is characterised by contrasts such as varied topography, population densities (low in the south, relatively dense in the north-east), and prolific vegetation in the south (timber) and sparse vegetation in the north (bushveld). The availability of natural resources such as dams, tourism attractions, nature reserves and proximity to intensive economic activities create opportunities for economic spin-offs. The “gates” to the municipal area are considered to be Sekgopo in the west, Modjadjiskloof in the south, MamailaKolobetona in the north and Makgakgapatse in the east. The municipalityincorporates the proclaimed towns of Modjadjiskloof and Ga-Kgapane, situated in the south of the municipal area, and Senwamokgope towards the north-west of the area.

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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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Makhado

Named after a 19th century vhaVenda king, Makhado, who ruled the area for many years, this is a fertile region where litchis, bananas, mangoes and nuts are produced. The national road (N1) runs through the town.

Makhado is situated in a highly fertile, rapidly growing agricultural area; the town has become one of Limpopo's premier business and tourist destinations and is the perfect springboard from which to visit the Songozwi sacred burial site of the vhaVenda, as well as Makhado's 'office', a secluded cave from where the chief conducted his campaign against the Voortrekkers.

The well-known town of Louis Trichardt is situated at the foot of the Soutpansberg mountain range in Limpopo and was developed from the Voortrekker settlement in the area. It was named after the leader Louis Trichardt, who moved away from British rule in the Cape and arrived here in 1836.

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