Maluti a Phofung

Maluti-A-Phofung local municipality is situated in the Free State. Maluti-A-Phofung is a local municipality and was established on 5 December 2001, and comprises of four former TLC local authorities, which are Qwaqwa Rural, Phuthaditjhaba, Harrismith and Kestell. The municipality is comprised of 35 wards and covers approximately 4 421 km2 in extent. Phuthaditjhaba is the urban centre of Qwaqwa and serves as the administrative head office of Maluti-A-Phofung municipality. Surrounding Phuthaditjhaba are the rural villages of Qwaqwa, established on tribal land administered by the Department of Land Affairs. Harrismith is a service center for the surrounding rural areas and a trading belt serving the national road, N3, which links the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. Harrismith is surrounded by Tshiame located 12 km to the west and Intabazwe, which is located 1,5 km to the north. The town is an economic hub for people living in Tshiame, Intabazwe and Qwaqwa. Kestell is a service center for the surrounding agricultural oriented rural area, with Tlholong as the township. Kestell is situated along the N5 road that links Harrismith with Bethlehem. The rural areas of Maluti-A-Phofung comprise commercial farms and major nature conservation centres such as Qwaqwa National Park, Platberg, Sterkfontein Dam and the Maluti Mountain Range. The area is not only a tourist attraction destination, but also makes a big contribution in generating gross agricultural income for the whole of the province and is also highly regarded for its beef production.read more »

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Uphongolo

The uPhongolo Local Municipality is in extent of approximately 4 185 km²and accommodates in the region of 127 238 people, with a population density of 30. Main access to the municipality is via the N2 from Gauteng in the north-west and Durban in the south. The municipality provides regional access to a wide range of tourist activities outside its own boundaries. The municipality contains in overall terms very low settlement densities while on the other hand containing substantial recreational and tourism opportunities.read more »

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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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Ephraim Mogale

Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality, formerly known as Greater Marble Hall Local Municipality is a local municipality (category B4) within the Sekhukhune District Municipality, in Limpopo. The municipality’s new name was adopted in January 2010 with a new slogan that says “Rehlabolla setshaba”, meaning “We develop our people”. The municipality is named after the struggle hero Ephraim Mogale. The municipality borders Makuduthamaga Local Municipality in the south, Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality in the east, Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality in Capricorn District, Mookgopong Local Municipality in Waterberg and Mpumalanga’s Dr JS Moroka Local Municipality. It is situated about 150 km from Polokwane, 100 km from Mokopane, 145 km from Pretoria, and 250 km from Mbombela. The municipality is the second smallest of the five local municipalities in the district, constituting 14,4% of the area with 1 911,07 square kilometres of the district’s 13 264 square kilometres. Land ownership is mostly traditional and the municipality is predominantly rural with about 56 settlements, most of which are villages. The municipality has 16 wards.read more »

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