Mogalakwena Local Municipality is the largest local municipality in Limpopo’s Waterberg District by population, with a population of 378,198 counted in the 2022 census across 6,156 km². The seat is Mokopane town, on the N1 between Polokwane and Pretoria.
The municipality takes its name from the Mogalakwena River, which rises near Mokopane and flows north toward the Limpopo, and from Anglo American’s Mogalakwena platinum mine, one of the largest open-pit platinum operations in the world.
Towns and Villages in Mogalakwena
Mogalakwena contains 122 named towns, townships and villages. The five largest and best-known are listed first, with the rest alphabetically below.
| Place | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mokopane | Seat | Pop. 101,090; on the N1 |
| Mahwelereng | Township | Adjoins Mokopane |
| Babirwa | Village | Pop. 5,006 |
| GaSekhaolelo | Village | Pop. 5,232 |
| Marken | Village | Farming settlement |
The other 117 settlements are listed below in alphabetical order, as recorded in the national place-names gazetteer. Names beginning Ga- are Sepedi villages named for the family or chief who settled them; Afrikaans names such as Weltevreden and Rhenosterfontein mark older farm settlements in the west and south of the municipality. Use the search box at the top of the page to jump to a name.
- Amatava
- Bakenberg
- Basterspad
- Bloemhof
- Bultongfontein
- Dinakane
- Diphitshi
- Diretsaneng
- Eckstein
- Ga-Chokoe
- Ga-Dukakgomo
- Ga-Hlako
- Ga-Kgubudi
- Ga-Lebelo
- Ga-Letwaba
- Ga-Mabuela
- Ga-Mabusela
- Ga-Makoena
- Ga-Malapile
- Ga-Malebana
- Ga-Maloka
- Ga-Malope
- Ga-Mapela
- Ga-Masenya
- Ga-Masiane
- Ga-Mathapo
- Ga-Mathekga
- Ga-Modipana
- Ga-Mokaba
- Ga-Molekana
- Ga-Molekwa
- Ga-Monare
- Ga-Monene
- Ga-Mosidi
- Ga-Mosoge
- Ga-Motlana
- Ga-Musi
- Ga-Nkidikitlana
- Ga-Ralenkwane
- Ga-Ramela
- Ga-Rammu
- Ga-Rantlakane
- Ga-Rapadi
- Ga-Taueatswala
- Ga-Tshaba
- Ga-Tshipana
- Groesbeek
- Hanglip
- Hoogedoorns
- Janseput
- Kabeana
- Kafferboom
- Kgaphamadi
- Kgopeng
- Kgopung
- Koedoesrand
- Laasteskof
- Lefanyane
- Lekhureng
- Lenkwane
- Luge
- Luxemburg
- Mabuladihlare
- Madiiba
- Magagamatala
- Mahlwareng
- Makapansgat
- Makekeng
- Malagakwini
- Malokong
- Mapela
- Marulaneng
- Matebeleng
- Matsitsilene
- Mmahlogo
- Mmakala
- Mmamatlakala
- Moepel
- Mogalakwena
- Mogalakwenastroom
- Mokerong
- Mongatane
- Mosira
- Mosuka
- Motswintswinyane
- Mphelelo
- Murchison
- Nkwe
- Nong
- Ntsintsing
- Phafula
- Phatsane
- Pholotsi
- Platreef
- Pudiyakgopa
- Rhenosterfontein
- Segole
- Sekgakgapeng
- Sekuruwe
- Senita
- Sepharene
- Setuphulane
- Sodoma
- Steillopbrug
- Sterkrivier
- Suid-Holland
- Suswe
- Thupi
- Thutlane
- Tinmyne
- Tlhogoyanku
- Treves
- Tshamahansi
- Uitspan
- Uitzicht
- Waterval
- Weltevreden
Geography
Mogalakwena stretches from the N1 corridor around Mokopane eastward into the Waterberg’s northern hills and platinum-rich Bushveld Igneous Complex around Bakenberg and Mapela. The Makapansgat valley, a World Heritage fossil site, lies within the municipality near Mokopane. It borders Lephalale, Thabazimbi and Modimolle–Mookgophong within Waterberg District, and Capricorn District to the north-east.
Demographics
The population grew from 304,585 in 2011 to 378,198 in 2022, the largest gain of any Waterberg municipality, concentrated around Mokopane and Mahwelereng as mining jobs drew workers in. Northern Sotho is the dominant home language at 73.5%.
Economy and Local Life
Platinum group metals drive the local economy, led by Anglo American’s Mogalakwena mine, one of the world’s largest open-pit PGM operations, near Bakenberg and Mapela. Mokopane also serves as a regional retail and government-services hub for the northern Waterberg, while communal farming and cattle grazing support the outlying villages. The Makapansgat fossil site and nearby game reserves add a smaller tourism income.
The Mogalakwena mine’s continued expansion has drawn workers to Mahwelereng and the surrounding villages of Bakenberg and Mapela, making mining the single largest formal employer in the municipality. Mokopane’s position on the N1 also supports a substantial trucking and logistics trade, serving farms and mines across the northern Waterberg, while the Makapansgat valley’s World Heritage status adds a modest but steady stream of research and heritage tourism.
History
Mokopane, previously known as Potgietersrus, was founded in the 1850s and later renamed after Kekana chief Mokopane, who led resistance against Voortrekker settlers in the area. The Makapansgat caves nearby, where his followers took refuge, are now recognised as a key site in the Cradle of Humankind’s broader fossil record. Platinum mining at Mogalakwena began in the 1990s and has since grown into one of the world’s largest open-pit PGM operations, reshaping the municipality’s economy over the past three decades.
Getting There
Mokopane sits directly on the N1, about 190 km north of Pretoria and 55 km south of Polokwane. The R518 runs west toward Bakenberg and the mining areas. Polokwane International Airport, roughly 45 minutes north, is the nearest scheduled air link.
FAQ
How many towns and villages are in Mogalakwena?
122 named places: Mokopane, Mahwelereng, Babirwa, GaSekhaolelo and Marken, plus the 117 villages and settlements listed above.
What is the seat of Mogalakwena Local Municipality?
Mokopane town, in Limpopo’s Waterberg District.
What is Mogalakwena’s main industry?
Platinum group metal mining, led by Anglo American’s Mogalakwena mine.
What is the population of Mogalakwena?
378,198 people (2022 census), up from 304,585 in 2011.
How big is Mogalakwena Local Municipality?
6,156 km².
Which villages are closest to the Mogalakwena platinum mine?
Bakenberg, Mapela, Ga-Mapela, Sekuruwe and Ga-Molekana lie in the mining belt west and north-west of Mokopane.
What is Makapansgat?
A World Heritage fossil-hominin site near Mokopane, within Mogalakwena Local Municipality.