Waterberg District Municipality covers five local municipalities in western Limpopo, home to 762,862 people in the 2022 census across roughly 44,915 km². Its offices are in Modimolle.
The district takes its name from the Waterberg mountain range, most of which falls within its borders and carries UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status over some 654,000 hectares.
Local Municipalities in Waterberg
| Municipality | Seat | 2022 population |
|---|---|---|
| Mogalakwena | Mokopane | 378,198 |
| Lephalale | Lephalale | 125,198 |
| Modimolle–Mookgophong | Modimolle | 130,113 |
| Thabazimbi | Thabazimbi | 65,047 |
| Bela-Bela | Bela-Bela | 64,306 |
Major Towns
- Mokopane
- Modimolle
- Lephalale
- Mookgophong
- Thabazimbi
- Bela-Bela
- Northam
- Vaalwater
- Mahwelereng
- Marapong
- Amandelbult
Geography
Waterberg District spans the mountain range of the same name, running from bushveld and iron-ore hills around Thabazimbi in the west, through the biosphere reserve’s game-lodge country near Vaalwater, to the platinum belt around Mokopane and Northam in the east. The N1 national route crosses the district through Bela-Bela, Modimolle and Mokopane, and the Mogalakwena and Lephalale rivers drain toward the Limpopo River on the district’s northern edge, which forms the international border with Botswana.
The Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, covering some 654,000 hectares of the range’s central plateau, is the district’s defining natural feature — a mix of sandstone cliffs, savanna woodland and private and provincial nature reserves that runs through Mogalakwena, Modimolle–Mookgophong and Thabazimbi municipalities. Marakele National Park, on the district’s western edge near Thabazimbi, adds a further large protected area, while the Springbok Flats to the south around Bela-Bela and Modimolle offer flatter, more intensively farmed land.
Economy and Local Life
Mining is the district’s largest formal industry: platinum group metals around Mokopane and Northam, coal and power generation at Lephalale’s Grootegeluk mine and Eskom’s Matimba and Medupi stations, and iron ore at Thabazimbi. Game farming, hunting and lodge tourism cover much of the Waterberg mountain country, drawing on the biosphere reserve’s conservation status, while Bela-Bela’s hot springs add a further tourism income. Citrus and other irrigated crops are grown along the N1 corridor around Modimolle and Mookgophong.
Each of the five local municipalities anchors its own share of this economy: Mogalakwena carries the district’s largest population and its biggest single employer in Anglo American’s Mogalakwena platinum mine, Lephalale hosts the coal-and-power cluster that supplies a large share of South Africa’s electricity, and Bela-Bela and the Waterberg lodges around Vaalwater draw weekend and international tourists respectively. Agriculture, from game ranching to citrus, remains the main rural livelihood outside the mining towns.
FAQ
What municipalities make up Waterberg District?
Mogalakwena, Lephalale, Modimolle–Mookgophong, Thabazimbi and Bela-Bela.
What is the population of Waterberg District?
762,862 people (2022 census).
Where is the district office?
Modimolle, inside Modimolle–Mookgophong Local Municipality.
What is Waterberg District named after?
The Waterberg mountain range, most of which lies within the district and holds UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status.