Bela-Bela Local Municipality lies in the Waterberg District of Limpopo, with 64,306 people counted in the 2022 census across 3,406 km². The seat is Bela-Bela town, on the N1 roughly 65 km north of Hammanskraal.
The name is Setswana for “the boiling place,” a reference to the hot mineral springs that first drew settlers and still anchor the town’s tourism trade.
Towns and Villages in Bela-Bela
| Place | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bela-Bela | Seat | Hot-springs resort town, on the N1 |
| Pienaarsrivier | Village | North of the seat, on the N1 |
| Rust de Winter | Village | Farming settlement near the dam |
| Radium | Village | Historic hotel village |
Smaller settlements recorded across the municipality:
- Brownridge
- Buffelsdrif
- Codrington
- Eersbewoond
- Kalkfontein
- Lehau
- Mackenzie
- Merinovlakte
- Moheme
- Ouklip
- Serala
- Settlers
Geography
Bela-Bela sits on the Springbok Flats at the southern edge of the Waterberg, where the bushveld gives way to open farmland toward Gauteng. Warm mineral springs rise near the town centre, feeding public and private spa resorts that draw weekend visitors from Pretoria and Johannesburg. It borders Modimolle–Mookgophong and Thabazimbi municipalities within Waterberg District, and Gauteng and North West provincial land to the south and west.
Demographics
The population fell slightly from 66,500 in the 2011 census to 64,306 in 2022. Northern Sotho, Tswana and Afrikaans are the main home languages, reflecting the town’s mix of surrounding traditional communities and long-established farming families. The municipality also holds the distinction, noted in its own municipal profile, of being the only one in South Africa whose boundary touches four different provinces at once.
Economy and Local Life
Tourism built around the hot springs is the leading formal industry, supporting resorts, guest houses and related retail in the seat town. Game farming and cattle ranching dominate the surrounding bushveld, with citrus and other irrigated crops grown on farms near Rust de Winter Dam. Bela-Bela’s location on the N1 also draws through-traffic trade from travellers moving between Gauteng and Limpopo’s north.
Weekend and holiday visitors from Gauteng make up a large share of the local tourism trade, drawn by the short drive from Pretoria and Johannesburg and by resorts built directly over the town’s warm springs. Several private game farms around Bela-Bela and toward Rust de Winter also offer hunting and eco-tourism packages, adding a second tourism income alongside the spa trade. Retail, construction and municipal services provide most of the remaining formal jobs in the seat town.
History
The town developed around its hot springs from the late 19th century, first as a stop for travellers and later as a formal health resort. It was long known by its Afrikaans name, Warmbaths, before officially adopting the Setswana name Bela-Bela after South Africa’s democratic transition, a change that better reflected the surrounding Setswana- and Sepedi-speaking communities. The municipality itself was constituted in its current form in 2000, bringing the town and surrounding rural areas together under one council within Waterberg District.
Getting There
Bela-Bela sits directly on the N1 national route, about 150 km north of Pretoria and 60 km south of Mokopane. The R516 connects it eastward toward the Waterberg’s game lodges. Polokwane International Airport and OR Tambo International Airport are the nearest major air links, roughly two and 2.5 hours’ drive away respectively.
FAQ
What is the seat of Bela-Bela Local Municipality?
Bela-Bela town, on the N1 in Limpopo’s Waterberg District.
What is Bela-Bela known for?
Its hot mineral springs and spa-resort tourism.
What is the population of Bela-Bela?
64,306 people (2022 census), down from 66,500 in 2011.
Which district and province is Bela-Bela in?
Waterberg District, Limpopo province.
How far is Bela-Bela from Pretoria?
About 150 km, roughly a 90-minute drive along the N1.