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. The province is made up of 3 former homelands of Lebowa, Gazankulu and Venda. Limpopo is made up of 3 main ethnic groups namely; Pedi people, Tsonga and 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 government and the legislature on matters related to custom, tradition and culture including developmental initiatives that have an impact on rural communities. On 18 August 2017 Kgosi Malesela Dikgale was re-elected as the Chairperson of the Limpopo House of Traditional Leaders.
Quick Facts
- Area:125,754Â km2
- Population Est:5,926,724
- Density:43/km2
- Languages:
- Pedi (52.9%)
- Tsonga (17.0%)
- Venda (16.7%)
- Afrikaans (2.6%)
- Tswana (2.0%)
- Southern Ndebele (2.0%)
- Capital: Polokwane
Limpopo is one of the warmest region in South Africa with an average daily high temperature of 26 degrees centigrade. Several months of the year it is warm to hot at temperatures continuously above 25 degrees centigrade, sometimes up to 29 degrees.
Limpopo has a total population of 6.015 Million with 1.641million Households., The province has a 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 found in Limpopo.
Sunflowers, cotton, maize and peanuts are cultivated in the Bela-Bela and Modimolle areas. Modimolle is also known for its table grapes. There is an embryotic wine industry growing in Limpopo. Tropical fruit, such as bananas, litchis, pineapples, mangoes and pawpaws, as well as a variety of nuts, are grown in the Tzaneen and Louis Trichardt areas. Tzaneen is also at the centre of extensive citrus, tea and coffee plantations, and a major forestry industry. Most of the farmers and house holds suffer from water supply, therefore they drill their boreholes in their premises.
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 at the centre of regional, national, and international developing markets. Limpopo contains much of the Waterberg Biosphere, a massif of approximately 15,000 km2 (5,800 sq mi) which is the first region in the northern part of South Africa to be named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
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[clarification needed] 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.
- 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, 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, known simply as the Bulls. Limpopo nonetheless produces its share of top players. Most notably, the two most-capped forwards in the history of the country’s national team, John Smit and Victor Matfield, are both natives 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.
The Department of Education is charged with the responsibility of 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 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 (Seshego)
- 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)
- Giyani Campus Of Nursing College
- Limpopo Province College of Nursing (Giyani Campus)
