Polokwane (Pietersburg)

Polokwane, previously called Pietersburg, is located in the Limpopo province in South Africa. Polokwane is part of the region Capricorn and it is the capital city of Limpopo.

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Geography and History

Polokwane, previously called Pietersburg, is located in the Limpopo province in South Africa. Polokwane is part of the region Capricorn and it is the capital city of Limpopo. The geographical line crossing Limpopo and the Northern section of this region provides the name for this, the economically most powerful region of the Limpopo Province, is Capricorn.

Polokwane lies on 23º 54' south latitude and 29º 28' east latitude, 50km south of the Capricorn region and 360km from the nearest coast. The city is 1774km from Cape Town and 343km from Johannesburg if you take the main road (N1) to the North and more or less half way between Pretoria (Tshwane) and the Zimbabwean border.

In the 1840’s, Voortrekkers under the leadership of Andries Potgieter founded a town named Zoutpansbergdorp 100km north-west of present-day Polokwane. The town which was later named Schoemansdal, was thrown of gaurd with strong opposition from the local Nguni tribes. They were harnessed with health problems and eventually the Voortrekkers were forced to abandon the town. The new town was named Pietersburg in honour of the Voortrekker leader Petrus Joubert. It was proclaimed in 1886.

Polokwane has thus enjoyed over a century of history and abundance and has grown promptly given its adjacency to Gauteng and the rich agricultural distict surrounding it. The town of Pietersburg earned city status on 23 April 1992 and was renamed Polokwane, meaning ‘Place of Safety’ in 2002. Polokwane is the largest metropolitan complex in the Great North and its commercial and industrial center. Polokwane was one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Polokwane can boast with it’s fine weather, excellent accommodation and a busy, friendly population, making it the ideal business or holiday destination in the heart of the Limpopo Province in South Africa.

Activites and Attractions

Bakone Malapa Northern Sotho Open-air Museum – Depicts the traditional and modern-day culture and lifestyle of the Bakone people.
Chuene Crocodile Farm
Concentration Camp Cementery – Housing the graves of the victims of a nearby Anglo-Boer War concentration camp
English Fort of Marabastad – The site where the Boers forced the siege of 140 soldiers for 104 days in 1880.
Horse rails – Used during the days of horsedrawn carriages and postal riders on horseback.
Hugh Exton Photographic Museum – The museum houses over 23 000 glass negatives which captures the first 50 years of the town.
Moletzie Bird Sanctuary
Polokwane Bird & Reptile Park – A large selection of avian and reptilian species

Accommodation in Polokwane

A wide range of accommodation is available in Polokwane, including guest houses, self-catering units, bed and breakfasts as well as hotels.

Businesses

Polokwane has a thriving business community and provides a wide range of goods and services to its residents as well as surrounding communities. See our business directory for a list of businesses in Polokwane or add your own free business directory listing.

***Images Courtesy of Go Limpopo © LIMPOPO TOURISM & PARKS