Thulamela Local Municipality lies in Limpopo’s Vhembe District, with 575,929 people counted in the 2022 census across 2,642 km². The seat is Thohoyandou, the former capital of the Venda homeland.
Thulamela absorbed the former Mutale Local Municipality in the August 2016 boundary changes, extending its territory north to the Kruger National Park boundary at Pafuri.
Towns and Villages in Thulamela
| Place | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Thohoyandou | Seat | Pop. 107,144; former Venda homeland capital |
| Tshitereke | Town | Pop. 19,092 |
| Sibasa | Town | Adjoins Thohoyandou |
| Ka-Mahonisi | Village | Pop. 4,490 |
| Lwamondo | Village | Pop. 1,557 |
| Mutale | Village | Former seat of Mutale LM, merged 2016 |
Other settlements recorded across the municipality, including the former Mutale area toward Kruger National Park:
- Begwa
- Craighouse
- Dzindi
- Dzwerani
- Fondwe
- Georgenholtz
- Gidjana
- Gouldville
- Ha-Lambani
- Ha-Madala
- Ha-Matsika
- Ha-Radali
- Khakhanwa
- Khalavha
- Khubvi
- Lambani
- Lukalo
- Makonde
- Makwarela
- Milaboni
- Miohe
- Muhuyu
- Mukhomi
- Mukula
- Mukumbani
- Muledane
- Mulenzhe
- Muthambi
- Muthati
- Natal House
- Palmaryville
- Peninghotsa
- Phaswane
- Phugwane
- Sambandou
- Shayandima
- Shigalo
- Shingomeni
- Takalani
- Tshabvuma
- Tshaulu
- Tshianzwani
- Tshiavha
- Tshifudi
- Tshiheni
- Tshikonelo
- Tshikundu
- Tshilapfene
- Tshithotholwe
- Tshivumbe
- Tswera
- Vhutandabos
- Bashasha
- Ha-Folovhodwe
- Ha-Matsheketsheke
- Hamakuya
- Khakhu
- Khavhambe
- Klein Tshipise
- Luheni
- Mabiligwe
- Madimbo
- Magovani
- Makuleni
- Masisi
- Matavhela
- Matshakatini
- Musunda
- Mutshavhawe
- Pafuri
- Pile
- Punda Maria
- Rambuda
- Sigonde
- Thengwe
- Tshamulongwe
- Tshandama
- Tshenzhelani
- Tshikuyu
Geography
Thulamela covers the Nzhelele and Luvuvhu river valleys below the Soutpansberg’s eastern end, extending north through the former Mutale area to Pafuri and the Kruger National Park boundary. The Punda Maria gate area, one of Kruger’s oldest entry points, sits within the municipality’s far north. It falls within Vhembe District Municipality and borders Makhado, Collins Chabane and Musina within the district.
Demographics
The population rose from 450,131 in the 2011 census to 575,929 in 2022, the largest in Vhembe District. Venda is the dominant home language across almost the entire municipality.
Economy and Local Life
Thohoyandou functions as Vhembe District’s administrative and commercial hub, hosting government offices, retail and a university campus inherited from its role as the Venda homeland capital. Subsistence and small-scale commercial farming continue across the rural wards, and the northern Pafuri/Kruger boundary area draws a modest wildlife-tourism trade linked to the national park.
University of Venda, based in Thohoyandou, is one of the district’s largest employers and draws students from across Limpopo and neighbouring provinces, supporting a substantial student-economy of accommodation, retail and transport around the town. In the far north, the former Mutale area’s proximity to Kruger’s Pafuri and Punda Maria sections brings a small but steady safari and birding tourism trade, distinct from the more urban economy around Thohoyandou itself.
History
Thohoyandou was built as the capital of the Venda bantustan, established under apartheid’s homeland policy and granted nominal independence in 1979, and takes its name from a Venda phrase referring to the head of an elephant, a royal symbol. The former Mutale Local Municipality to the north, absorbed into Thulamela in 2016, covered the Pafuri and Kruger-boundary area and traced its own settlement history to Venda royal and Tsonga communities along the Luvuvhu River.
Getting There
Thohoyandou is reached via the R524 from Louis Trichardt, about 75 km east, or the R578 from the N1. The Pafuri area in the far north is accessed via Kruger National Park’s own road network. Polokwane International Airport, roughly two hours away, is the nearest scheduled air link.
FAQ
What is the seat of Thulamela Local Municipality?
Thohoyandou, in Limpopo’s Vhembe District.
How did Thulamela change in 2016?
It absorbed the former Mutale Local Municipality, extending its territory north to Kruger National Park.
What is the population of Thulamela?
575,929 people (2022 census), up from 450,131 in 2011.
Which district and province is Thulamela in?
Vhembe District, Limpopo province.
What was Thohoyandou before 1994?
The capital of the Venda bantustan, an apartheid-era nominally self-governing homeland.