Polokwane (, meaning "Sanctuary" in Northern SothoPolokwane - The Heart of the Limpopo Province. City of Polokwane official website. Retrieved on October 15, 2009.), formerly and sometimes also known as Pietersburg, is the capital city of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. It is the country's largest urban centre north of Gauteng. It was also one of the nine host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
History
Early history
In the 1840s, Voortrekkers under the leadership of Andries Hendrik Potgieter established Zoutpansbergdorp, a town to the north. This settlement had to be abandoned because of clashes with the local tribes (Lebelo, Langa & Ledwaba clans), they founded a new town in 1886 and named it "Pietersburg" in honour of Voortrekker leader Petrus Jacobus Joubert. A small number of Indian/Asian and coloured people settled into the region before the end of the 19th century. It was the capital of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State for a short time in 1900 during the Second Boer War. The British occupied Pietersburg in 1901 and built a concentration camp to incarcerate almost 4,000 Boer women and children.
Years of apartheid Like many places in South Africa at the time of apartheid, racial segregation and inequality were fundamentally ingrained into the town, following the end of the Second Boer War, together with the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, institutional laws were in place in terms of divided urban planning which were implemented continuously throughout this era. The commencement of apartheid in 1948 meant that Pietersburg was clearly segregated in both residential regions and for business ventures.
The institutionalization of the notorious Group Areas Act in 1950 and its amendments in 1966 ensured that the spatial development of the Central Business District (CBD) was exclusively for people of European descent while other regions of the CBD being exclusively for races such as "Indian centre" for Indians/Asians. Many regions were designated to only a specific race of people such as the suburbs of Nirvana and Westenburg at the northwest of the town only being occupied by Indian/Asian and Coloured groups respectively, while the suburb of Bendor being reserved for Whites. The townships of Seshego and Mankweng were occupied by the Black population. Removals of minority groups for white residency, whites-only owned industrial sectors and a regular barrier between people of different races were heavily enforced.
Since 1994 The town officially became a city on 23 April 1992 and on 27 April 1994, it became the capital of the newly formed Northern Transvaal province (Later changed to "Northern province" and thereafter Limpopo) following the 1994 South African general elections. On 25 February 2005, the government declared the official name of the city as Polokwane, a name that was generally in use by the speakers of Northern Sotho (Sepedi). The city was host to the 52nd national conference of the African National Congress, held in December 2007 at the University of Limpopo and saw Jacob Zuma voted as President of the ANC, beating former president Thabo Mbeki.
Present Today the city of Polokwane has seen respectable development in terms of infrastructure and services. The city provides a wide variety of shopping, malls, restaurants, entertainment venues, religious venues, civic halls, as well as modern housing developments and office buildings.
Political governance The Polokwane Municipality is run by the African National Congress (ANC) with a 60% majority obtained in the last 2021 Municipal Elections. In a by-election held on 24 April 2024, Ward 10 was won by ANC councillor candidate Willie Madikoto after the arrest and resignation of the previous Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillor Jacob Seshokadue due to alleged theft of firearms.
Ailing Infrastructure and Poor Service Delivery Despite the development the city has seen, it has been plagued with persistent issues of poor service delivery, which has led to crucial service infrastructure such as electricity, water, and sewage systems neglection.
Demographics The population in 2011 was about 130,000 . Roughly 45.9% of people in the city are Sepedi (Northern Sotho) speakers. A large portion of the white population are Afrikaners, and roughly 10,000 residents (roughly 8%) are English-speaking whites who are primarily South Africans of British descent and White Zimbabweans, the latter moved to the area after the year 2000. Roughly 6.7% of people are Venda people.
+Population GroupPercentageAfrican74.4%Coloured3.7%Indian/Asian3.1%White18.2%
Districts/suburbs/townships The city is divided into seven clusters and forty-five wards. Mankweng Cluster with wards: 06,07,25,26,27,28,34 – 20 km east of the city centre. Moletjie Cluster with wards: 09,10,15,16,18,35,36,38 Molepo / Chuene / Maja Cluster with wards: 1,2,3,4,5 – 20 km south of the city centre. Sebayeng / Dikgale Cluster with wards: 24,29,32,33,30,31 – 30 km northeast of the city centre. Aganang Cluster with wards: 40,41,42,43,44,45 City Cluster with wards: 08;19,20,21,22,23,39 Seshego Cluster with wards: 11,12,13,14,17,37 - on the north-west outskirts of the city.
Suburbs in the city include Nirvana, Westenburg, Bendor, Welgelegen, Moregloed, Annadale, Ivydale, Flora Park, Fauna Park, Greenside, Penina Park, Ivy Park, Hospital Park, Ster Park, Dalmada, Broadlands, Woodlands, Southern Gateway and Thornhill.
Climate The city has a semiarid climate under the Köppen climate classification. Despite its position on the Tropic of Capricorn, the climate is tempered by its position on a plateau 1230 m above sea level. Average temperatures reach around in January and fall to in July. As with much of inland South Africa, Polokwane has experienced notably warmer seasons over the last decade than its long-term average.Average monthly and annual temperatures, Polokwane/Pietersburg 19322007, GISS The city has a dry climate with a summer rainy season and a pronounced dry spell during winter. Average annual rainfall is , with December or (less often) January the wettest month and July the driest.GHCN monthly rainfall Pietersburg, NGDC, 1932-1992
Transport Roads
The city lies roughly halfway between Gauteng () and the Zimbabwean border () on the N1 toll highway, which connects Zimbabwe with the major cities in South Africa, such as Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, and Cape Town.
The R37 provincial route connects the city with Mbombela. Running east, the R71 connects the city with Tzaneen, Phalaborwa, Bushbuckridge, and the Kruger National Park. To the north-east is the R81 connecting the city with Giyani and Malamulele. The R521 connects the city with Alldays and the R567 via Seshego connects Polokwane with the N11. The R71 is also well known to bikers who ride through the city annually, making it the biggest bike meeting in Africa.
The Nelson Mandela road traffic island is situated on the outskirts of Polokwane when approaching from the direction of Johannesburg. It was built prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup as part of beautifying the city for the event.
A number of private bus services run in the city and also services connect Polokwane to other major centres in the country.
Air The city is served by two airports. A public airport, the Polokwane International Airport, is north of the city, while the smaller Pietersburg Civilian Aerodrome is south-east of the city.
Railways The city is connected to Johannesburg and other major centres by rail. Agricultural produce, including tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar cane, peanuts, tea, bananas, and avocados, are transported by rail.
Society and culture Media
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has a branch in the city.Sabc Corporate The city also has a branch of the country's largest independent radio station, Jacaranda RM/FM, which broadcasts from Pretoria, Nelspruit and Polokwane.Jacaranda 94.2FM
The first commercial radio station in Limpopo, CapricornFM, broadcasts from the city.CapricornFM Two additional radio stations are also in Polokwane. These include Energy FM and Munghana Lonene FM.
The city has a selection of locally distributed newspapers. Two notable newspapers include The Review and The Polokwane Observer.
Gambling The Sun International casino and hotel is in the city. Meropa Casino and Entertainment World is a Moroccan-style, 24-hour casino with various outdoor entertainment amenities such as go-karts, minigolf, and a wildlife park.
Museums, monuments and memorials The Bakone Malapa Northern Sotho Open-Air Museum — Depicts the traditional and modern-day lifestyle of the Bakone people. The museum is centred on a traditional village still occupied by members of the tribe, who sell various crafts to tourists. Background information can be obtained in the visitor centre. Within the museum complex are archaeological sites with remains of iron- and copper-smelting installations, as well as rock paintings from around 1000 B.C. Sumayela Heritage - the region also hosts a rich heritage of tekela nguni traditional communities ( mainly Lebelo, Kekana - Langa & Ledwaba ) known as ama sumayela ndebele Eersteling Monuments — The site of the country's first gold crushing site and its first gold power plant are marked by monuments. The Hugh Exton Photographic Museum — the former Dutch Reformed Church building The Irish House — Historic building which functions as a museum.
Places of worship
The largest Christian gathering in South Africa happens twice a year at Zion City, Moria near Polokwane, at Easter and again for the September end of year festival. The Zion Christian Church's headquarters are at Zion City Moria, about 25 kilometres east of the city. ZCC is an entirely black denomination with about 16 million members, formed in 1924 by Ignatius Lekganyane - an indigenous church, not established by evangelists from abroad. The Star of David is the symbol of the ZCC and the two congregations that make up the church are today led by the grandsons of its founder - Barnabas Lekganyane and Saint Engenas Lekganyane. The ZCC is characterised by the emphasis it places on faith healing, purification rites, dancing, night communion, river baptism, the holy spirit, taboos and prophesying. The church celebrated its 100th year of existence during the September pilgrimage in 2024, which was attended by the provincial government leadership, kings, chiefs, congregates and other dignitaries. The ZCC has members in every country in Africa, and in most countries of the Middle East.
Synagogues The first Jewish settlers in Pietersburg arrived between 1890 and 1900 from Lithuania, Russia, and Latvia, and the Pietersburg Hebrew Congregation was founded in 1897. A synagogue was built on Jorissen Street in 1921. The Jewish community grew rapidly in the 1930s and 1940s; a larger synagogue was built in 1953 and the old synagogue was then converted into a communal hall. The number of Jews in Pietersburg began to decline from the late 1950s. In 2003, as the congregation had dwindled, the synagogue was closed and its benches, bimah, and other contents were shipped to Israel, where they were installed in the Mevasser Synagogue in Tel Mond in memory of the Pietersburg synagogue.The History of the Pietersburg (Polokwane) Jewish Congregation. JewishGen KehilaLinks. Retrieved on October 29, 2015.
Sports
Football
Polokwane City and Baroka are soccer clubs based in the city.
Golf The Pietersburg Golf Club along with the golf course was established in the late 1800s. The course comprises a full 18 holes. Retief Goosen (born 3 February 1969) was born in Pietersburg and honed his skills at the Pietersburg Golf Club.
Cricket The Polokwane Cricket Club is one of the oldest in the country and was established in 1902. Limpopo's cricket team, which plays first-class and List A cricket, is based in Polokwane at the Polokwane Cricket Club Ground.