Limpopo () is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is situated in Lebowakgomo.
The province is made up of three former Bantustan of Lebowa, Gazankulu and Venda and part of the former Transvaal province. The Limpopo province was established as one of nine provinces after the 1994 South African general election. The province's name was first " Northern Transvaal", later changed to " Northern Province" on 28 June 1995, with two other provinces. The name was later changed again in 2002 to the Limpopo Province. Limpopo is made up of three main ethnic groups: the Pedi people, the Tsonga people and the Venda people.
Traditional leaders and chiefs still form a strong backbone of the province's political landscape. Established in terms of the Limpopo House of Traditional Leaders Act, Act 5 of 2005, the Limpopo House of Traditional Leaders' main function is to advise the government and the legislature on matters related to custom, tradition, and culture, including developmental initiatives that affect rural communities. On 18 August 2017, Kgosi Malesela Dikgale was re-elected as the Chairperson of the Limpopo House of Traditional Leaders.
Name
The term "Limpopo" is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a group of
Tsonga language settlers led by Hosi Rivombo who settled in the mountainous vicinity and named the area after their leader. The Lebombo mountains are also named after them. The river has been called the Vhembe by local Venda communities of the area.
History
The world heritage site of the Mapungubwe National Park boasts archaeological finds from the period of a powerful local kingdom that ruled here between 800 CE and 1290 existed. The remains of a
Human settlement from the period between the 15th and 17th century can be seen in Thulamela in the northern part of the Kruger National Park.
Until 1994 it was the northern part of the former Transvaal Province. For a short period since 1994 it was called the Province of NorthReern Transvaal and thereafter, through the Constitution of the public of South Africa Amendment Act No. 20 of 1995 from July 1995 initially Northern Province.[ South Africa Survey 1995/96. SAIRR, Johannesburg 1996, p. 432.][ Act No . 20 of 1995: Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Amendment Act, 1995 (PDF). In: Government Gazette, 1995-07-03, Vol. 361, No. 16522, p. 5; justice.gov.za (English).] The province was named after the Limpopo River by decision of the provincial assembly in 2002, and at the same time most of the cities on its territory were renamed.[Sapa: Northern Province to be renamed Limpopo. iol.co.za, February 13, 2002.][ Brand South Africa, June 10, 2003 (English).] However, the renaming of the province required an amendment to the South African constitution, which was passed with an amending law was made in 2003.[Republic of South Africa: Act No. 3 of 2003: Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Second Amendment Act, 2003 (PDF; 267 kB)
In: Government Gazette, Vol. 454, No. 24744, April 11, 2003; gov. za (English).]
In 2013, Stan Mathabatha replaced his predecessor Cassel Mathale (both ANC) as Prime Minister.
Geography
Limpopo Province shares international borders with districts and provinces of three countries:
Botswana's Central and Kgatleng districts to the west and northwest respectively,
Zimbabwe's Matabeleland South and Masvingo provinces to the north and northeast respectively, and
Mozambique's
Gaza Province to the east.
Limpopo is the link between South Africa and countries further afield in sub-Saharan Africa. On its southern edge, from east to west, it shares borders with the South African provinces of
Mpumalanga,
Gauteng, and North West. Its border with Gauteng includes that province's
Johannesburg-
Pretoria axis, the most industrialised metropolis on the continent. The province is central to regional, national, and international developing markets.
Limpopo contains much of the Waterberg Biosphere, a massif of approximately which is the first region in the northern part of South Africa to be named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.[C. Michael Hogan, Mark L. Cooke and Helen Murray, The Waterberg Biosphere, Lumina Technologies, 22 May 2006. ]
Law and government
The current Premier of Limpopo Province is
Phophi Ramathuba, representing the African National Congress.
Municipalities
Limpopo Province is divided into five district municipalities. The district municipalities are in turn divided into 25 local municipalities:
District municipalities
-
Capricorn District
-
Blouberg
-
Lepele-Nkumpi
-
Molemole
-
Polokwane
-
Mopani District
-
Ba-Phalaborwa
-
Greater Giyani
-
Greater Letaba
-
Greater Tzaneen
-
Maruleng
-
Sekhukhune District
-
Elias Motsoaledi
-
Ephraim Mogale
-
Fetakgomo Tubatse
-
Makhuduthamaga
-
Vhembe District
-
Makhado
-
Musina
-
Collins Chabane
-
Thulamela
-
Waterberg District
-
Bela-Bela
-
Lephalale
-
Modimolle–Mookgophong
-
Mogalakwena
-
Thabazimbi
Economy
Limpopo has a total population of 6.015 million with 1.641 million households.
The province has a relatively high Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.710, which is the third highest in South Africa.
Agriculture
The bushveld is
beef cattle country, where extensive ranching operations are often supplemented by controlled hunting. About 80% of South Africa's
game hunting industry is in Limpopo.
, cotton, maize and are cultivated in the Bela-Bela and Modimolle areas. Modimolle is also known for its table . An embryotic wine industry is growing in Limpopo.
Housing
Most Limpopo residents live in rural areas; this has led to a new phenomenon of rural development, where the residents have invested in building lavish homes on their tribal land. Limpopo rural houses have been profiled by TV channels, lifestyle vloggers, social media influencers, and Africa's biggest facts brand, Africa Facts Zone. According to
96.2% of Limpopo live in formal housing, above the national average of 84.0%. This makes Limpopo the province with the highest percentage of people living in formal housing in South Africa.
Mining
Limpopo's rich mineral deposits include the platinum group metals, iron ore, chromium, high- and middle-grade
coking coal, diamonds,
antimony,
phosphate, and copper, as well as mineral reserves like gold, emeralds,
scheelite,
magnetite,
vermiculite,
silicon, and
mica. Commodities such as
black granite,
corundum, and
feldspar are also found. Mining contributes to over a fifth of the provincial economy.
Limpopo has the largest platinum deposit in South Africa.
Tourism
The Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism has targeted the province as a preferred
eco-tourism destination. Its Environment and Tourism Programme encompasses tourism, protected areas, and community environment development to achieve sustainable economic growth.
[http://www.search.gov.za/info/previewDocument.jsp?dk=/data/static/info/speeches/2010/10040713351001.htm@Gov&q=%3Cphrase%3E+Issued+by:+Department...&t=P+Moloto:+Limpopo+Economic+Development+Environment+and+Tourism+Prov+Budget+Speech+2010/11 ]
While Limpopo is one of South Africa's poorest provinces, it is rich in wildlife, which gives it an advantage in attracting tourists. Both the private and public sectors are investing in tourism development.
Near Modjadjiskloof, at Sunland Baobab farms, there is a large Baobab tree which has been fashioned into a relatively spacious pub.
Transportation and communications
The province has excellent road, rail, and air links. The N1 route from
Johannesburg, which extends the length of the province, is the busiest overland route in Africa in terms of cross-border trade in raw materials and beneficiated goods. The port of
Durban, South Africa's busiest, is served directly by the province, as are the ports of
Richards Bay and
Maputo. Polokwane International Airport is situated just north of
Polokwane. Limpopo province contains approximately 56 airports and airstrips.
Education
The Department of Education is responsible for effecting quality education and training for all. The Department has to coordinate all professional development and support. Policies, systems, and procedures had to be developed.
Educational institutions
As of December 2020, 12.9% of the Limpopo population had attained some post-school qualifications.
The following higher education institutions are found in Limpopo:
-
University of Limpopo (Polokwane, Mankweng)
-
University of Venda (Thohoyandou)
-
Tshwane University of Technology (Polokwane Campus)
-
Capricorn College for TVET (Polokwane)
-
Lephalale TVET College (Lephalale)
-
Letaba TVET College (Tzaneen)
-
Mopani South East TVET College (Phalaborwa)
-
Sekhukhune TVET College (Motetema)
-
Vhembe TVET College (Venda)
-
Waterberg TVET College (Mokopane)
Sports
-
Association football: Polokwane was one of South Africa's host cities for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with matches being played at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. Football clubs in the province include Real Rovers, Silver Stars, Black Leopards, Polokwane City, Magesi, Baroka, Ria Stars and Dynamos.
-
Rugby union: Limpopo has no provincial rugby team of its own; it is represented in the domestic Currie Cup by the Pretoria-based Blue Bulls. The Blue Bulls also operate a Super Rugby franchise, the Bulls. Limpopo nonetheless produces its share of top players. Most notably, the second most-capped forward in the history of the country's national team, Victor Matfield, is a native of Polokwane.
-
Basketball: The province is home to Limpopo Pride, a professional team that plays in South Africa's top basketball division, the Basketball National League.
Demographics
[[File:Limpopo population density map.svg|thumb|Population density in Limpopo
]]
[[File:Limpopo dominant language map.svg|thumb|Dominant home languages in Limpopo
]]
The population of Limpopo consists of several ethnic groups distinguished by culture, language, and race. 97.3% of the population is
Black people, 2.4% is
Whites, 0.2% is
Coloured, and 0.1% is
/
Asian people. The province has the smallest percentage and second smallest total number of White South Africans in the country. However, there are several localities with a White majority, notably
Hoedspruit and
Modimolle. It also has the highest Black percentage out of all the provinces.
The Pedi people comprise the largest percentage of the population, 52% of the province. The Tsonga people comprise about 24.0% of the province; the Tsonga also comprise about 11.5% of Mpumalanga province since the southern part of their homeland, Gazankulu, was cut off from Limpopo and allocated to Mpumalanga. The Venda people make up about 16.7%. Afrikaners make up the majority of Limpopo's White population, about 95,000 people; English language-speaking Whites number just over 20,000. Vhembe district has the smallest share of White people in Limpopo, about 5,000 total. In contrast, the Waterberg district has the largest share of Whites, with more than 60,000 Whites residing there. Coloureds and Asians/ make up a tiny percentage of the province's total population.
HIV/AIDS
At 18.5% (2007), Limpopo has a relatively high incidence of
HIV compared to other South African provinces. Cases rose from 14.5% to 21.5% between 2001 and 2005, with a slight fall between 2005 and 2007.
However, as at 2019, the Limpopo province HIV stats sat at (13.2%) which is one of the lowest in comparison with other provinces in South Africa.
See also
External links
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Limpopo Provincial Government
