Free State

The Free State experiences a continental climate, characterised by warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters. Areas in the east experience frequent snowfalls, especially on the higher ranges, whilst the west can be extremely hot in summer.

Almost all precipitation falls in the summer months as brief afternoon thunderstorms, with aridity increasing towards the west. Areas in the east around Harrismith, Bethlehem and Ficksburg are well watered. The capital, Bloemfontein, experiences hot, moist summers and cold, dry winters frequented by severe frost.

• Bloemfontein averages: January maximum: 31 °C (min: 15 °C), July maximum: 17 °C (min: -2 °C), annual precipitation: 559 mm
• Bethlehem averages: January maximum: 27 °C (min: 13 °C), July maximum: 16 °C (min: -2 °C), annual precipitation: 680 mm

The province is the granary of South Africa, with agriculture central to its economy, while mining on the rich goldfields reef is its largest employer.

Agriculture:

Agriculture dominates the Free State landscape, with cultivated land covering 32,000 square kilometres, and natural veld and grazing a further 87,000 square kilometres of the province. It is also South Africa’s leader in the production of biofuels, or fuel from agricultural crops, with a number of ethanol plants under construction in the grain-producing western region. South Africa is one of the top ten Maize producers in the world (12,365,000 tons as of 2013) whereby all of the crops come from the Free State. The Free State is well known for its Mielielande (corn-fields; the former term is in Afrikaans).

Field crops yield almost two-thirds of the gross agricultural income of the province. Animal products contribute a further 30%, with the balance generated by horticulture. Ninety percent of the country’s cherry crop is produced in the Ficksburg district, which is also home to the country’s two largest asparagus canning factories. Soya, sorghum, sunflowers and wheat are cultivated in the eastern Free State, where farmers specialise in seed production. About 40% of the country’s potato yield comes from the province’s high-lying areas.

The main vegetable crop is asparagus, both white and green varieties. Although horticulture is expanding and becoming increasingly export-orientated, most produce leaves the province unprocessed. The Free State’s advantage in floriculture is the opposing seasons of the southern and northern hemispheres. The province exports about 1.2 million tons of cut flowers a year.

The Free State is situated on a succession of flat grassy plains sprinkled with pastureland, resting on a general elevation of 3,800 feet only broken by the occasional hill or kopje. The rich soil and pleasant climate allow for a thriving agricultural industry. With more than 30,000 farms, which produce over 70% of the country’s grain, it is known locally as South Africa’s breadbasket.

The province is high-lying, with almost all land being 1,000 metres above sea level. The Drakensberg and Maluti Mountains foothills raise the terrain to over 2,000 m in the east. The Free State lies in the heart of the Karoo Sequence of rocks, containing shales, mudstones, sandstones and the Drakensberg Basalt forming the youngest capping rocks. Mineral deposits are plentiful, with gold and diamonds being of particular importance, mostly found in the north and west of the province.

In the southeast, the Free State borders seven districts of Lesotho:

• Mokhotlong – farthest to the east
• Butha-Buthe – northwest of Mokhotlong and northeast of Leribe
• Leribe – southwest of Butha-Buthe and northeast of Berea
• Berea – southwest of Leribe and north of Maseru
• Maseru – south of Berea and northeast of Mafeteng
• Mafeteng – southwest of Maseru and northwest of Mohale’s Hoek
• Mohale’s Hoek – southeast of Mafeteng

Domestically, it borders the following provinces:

• KwaZulu-Natal – east
• Eastern Cape – south
• Northern Cape – west
• North West – northwest
• Gauteng – north
• Mpumalanga – northeast

The Free State borders more districts of Lesotho and more provinces of South Africa than any other province.

It is traversed by the northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude.

Provincial sport teams:

Soccer:

• African Warriors (Phuthaditjhaba)
• Carara Kicks F.C. (Welkom)
• Bloemfontein Celtic (Bloemfontein)
• Free State Stars (Bethlehem)
• Roses United
• Bloemfontein Young Tigers

Rugby:

• Cheetahs (Bloemfontein) – also represents Northern Cape
• Currie Cup:
  • Free State Cheetahs (Bloemfontein)
  • Griffons(Welkom)

Cricket:

• Knights (Bloemfontein)

Universities:

• University of the Free State (Bloemfontein, Phuthaditjhaba)
• Central University of Technology (Bloemfontein, Welkom)

Other educational institutions:

• Akademia (Bloemfontein)
• Boston City Campus (Bloemfontein)
• Damelin (Bloemfontein)
• Flavius Mareka FET College (Kroonstad, Mphohardi, Sasolburg)
• Goldfields FET College (Welkom, Tosa)
• Maluti TVET College (QwaQwa, Bethlehem, Harrismith)
• Motheo TVET College (Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, Thaba nchu, Koffiefontein)
• Qualitas Career Academy (Bloemfontein)

Secondary schools:

• C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje, Bloemfontein
• Grey College, Bloemfontein
• Eunice High School (Bloemfontein)
• Hoërskool Sentraal (Bloemfontein)
• Hoërskool Jim Fouché (Bloemfontein)
• Hoërskool Fichardtpark (Bloemfontein)
• Hoërskool Sand du Plessis (Bloemfontein)
• Brebner High School (Bloemfontein)
• Navalsig High School (Bloemfontein)
• St. Andrew’s School (Bloemfontein)
• St. Michael’s School (Bloemfontein)
• Hoërskool Witteberg (Bethlehem)
• Bethlehem Voortrekker High School
• Unitas Secondary School (Welkom)
• Sekgutlong Secondary school
• (Phuthaditjhaba)
• Mohato Secondary School (Phuthaditjhaba)
• Kwetlisong Secondary School (Petrus Steyn)
• St. Bernard’s High School (Bloemfontein)
• L.A Wesi Secondary School (Allanridge)
• Eldoret Secondary School (Odendaalsrus)
• Leseding Technical Secondary School (Welkom)
• Mohaladitwe Secondary School (QwaQwa)
• Villiers Hoerskool (Villiers)