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 »

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.

Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality is situated in the eastern quadrant of Limpopo within the Mopani District Municipality area of jurisdiction. It is bordered by Polokwane to the west, Greater Letaba to the north, Ba-Phalaborwa and Maruleng to the east and Lepelle-Nkumpi to the south. It contains 125 rural villages, with almost 80% of households residing in these villages. The area encompasses the main towns of Tzaneen, Nkowankowa, Lenyenye, Letsitele and Haenertsburg. Greater Tzaneen Municipality is named after Tzaneen town which was surveyed and planned by surveyor H Manaschewitz in 1919. The origin of the name Tzaneen is not clear.read more »

Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality is a Category B municipality found in the Mopani District in the Limpopo province. It is situated in the north-eastern part of Mopani, less than 1 km from the Kruger National Park border. It includes the towns of Phalaborwa, Namakgale, Lulekani and Gravelotte, and is surrounded by the five Traditional Authorities of Makhushane, Majeje, Mashishimale, Maseke and Seloane. 95% of the population resides within a 15 km radius of Phalaborwa Town. It is 220 km from Polokwane and Nelspruit, and serves as a central gateway to the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park through the Giriyondoborder post. It is an entry and exit point to the Mozambican side of the Xai-Xai beaches. (www.localgovernment.co.za)read more »

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.