About City
Polokwane is the capital of Limpopo Province of South Africa. Its earlier name was Pietersburg. The name Polokwane means "a place of safety". It came into limelight when it hosted matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
In 1840s, Zoutpansbergdorp was established by Voortrekkers. Andries Portgieter was the leader of the group. It was a town situated 100 km to the north west. Due to the
In 1840s, Zoutpansbergdorp was established by Voortrekkers. Andries Portgieter was the leader of the group. It was a town situated 100 km to the north west. Due to the ">Polokwane is the capital of Limpopo Province of South Africa. Its earlier name was Pietersburg. The name Polokwane means "a place of safety". It came into limelight when it hosted matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
In 1840s, Zoutpansbergdorp was established by Voortrekkers. Andries Portgieter was the leader of the group. It was a town situated 100 km to the north west. Due to the conflict with the local tribes, the settlement did not survive long. In 1886, they established a new town and called Pietersburg in honour of Voortrekker leader Petrus Jacobus Joubert. It became a city in 1992. The government came up with its official name as Polokawane.
There are quite a few popular suburbs in the city like Westenburg, Nirvana, Bendor, Welgelegen, Moregloed, Annadale, Ivydale, Flora Park, Fauna Park, Penina Park, Ivy Park, Hospital Park, Ster Park, Dalmada, Broadlands, Woodlands, and Thornhill.
Besides the above-mentioned suburbs in the city, three clusters of suburbs around the city exist as follows:
The Seshego Cluster - north-west on the outskirts of the city
Molepo/Maja/Chuene Cluster - 20km south of the city centre
Mankweng/Sebayeng/Dikgale Cluster - 30km east of the city centre
Among the important landmarks, there are museums, monuments and memorials that make the city worth a visit. The Bakone Malapa Northern Sotho Open-Air Museum portrays the traditional and present-day life style of the Bakone people. The museum focuses on the depiction of the small village the ancient tribe still occupies. They sell various artifacts to tourists. There are archaeological sites within the museum which contain the remains of iron and copper smelting installations and rock paintings from around 1000 B.C. The site called Eersteling Monuments was the first gold crushing site and there are monuments that capture the first gold power plant history.
Polokwane is also popular because of its rich reserves of nature and wildlife. There are 280 species of birds at The Polowane Bird and Reptile Park. You can spot several unique South African species of wildlife, birdlife and plants at The Polowane Game Reserve. The Moletzie Bird Sanctuary serves to protesct rare species of birds like the Cape vulture. There is the largest concentration of indigenous cynads in the world at The Moadjadji Rainforest near Duiwelskloof. To know more about the life of crocodiles, you should explore Cheune Crocodile Farm.
Polokwane Art Gallery is home to a massive collection of art pieces. Polokwane has the distinction of being the first city to inaugurate the statue of Nelson Mandela in its civic gardens. It is also regarded as a major hunting hotspot in South Africa.
The city has a lot of buzz in terms of economic activities. Coca-coal, Freshmark, South African Breweries are important industries in the city. The manufacturing facility at Seshego of Tempest Radios & Hi-Fis stands out in the city and is the largest employer too.
Mall of the North, Savannah Mall, Dunns Stores etc. are leading shopping malls in the city. The popular places to eat include Nando's Savannah Mall,
Nguni Grill, Saskia Restaurant, Fusion Boutique Hotel etc.
Polokwane is home to universities like University of Limpopo, Tshwane University of Technology Campus and University of Limpopo Turfloop Campus. Capricorn High School, Pepps Polokwane Preparatory School and College, Pietersburg High School are a few of the well known educational institutions in the city.
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