List of Towns, Villages and Cities in Matjhabeng Local Municipality

Matjhabeng Local Municipality is the biggest of the five local municipalities in the Lejweleputswa District of the Free State, South Africa. The 2022 census recorded 439,034 residents across 5,690.4 km², and the seat is Welkom.

“Matjhabeng” is Sesotho for “where nations meet,” a reference to the migrant-labour system that built the Free State goldfields. Matjhabeng runs from Odendaalsrus in the north to Virginia in the southeast, forming a mining and industrial belt inside Lejweleputswa District.

Key Facts

Towns and Villages in Matjhabeng

Matjhabeng is dominated by four former gold-mining towns strung along a single belt — Welkom, Odendaalsrus, Virginia and Allanridge — plus large adjoining townships and a handful of agricultural centres. GeoNames lists 28 named places.

Other named places (townships, suburbs and mine settlements) include Bedelia, Bedelia West, Bloudrif, Bronville, Dagbreek, Flamingo Park, Hani Park, Kitty, Kutlwanong, Mmamhabane, Naudeville, Nyakallong, Reitzpark, Riebeeckstad, Thabong and Whites.

Geography

Matjhabeng sits in the goldfields of the central Free State, on gently rolling highveld grassland roughly 1,400 m above sea level, north of Bloemfontein and south of Kroonstad. Old mine dumps and shaft headgear still mark the skyline around Welkom and Odendaalsrus. Within Lejweleputswa District it borders Masilonyana, Tokologo, Tswelopele and Nala.

Demographics

The population grew from 407,020 at the 2011 census to 439,034 in 2022, up about 7.9%, despite the decline of the gold industry that built the towns. The municipality is 88.1% Black African, 9.0% White, 2.3% Coloured and 0.5% Indian/Asian. Sotho remains the leading first language, alongside sizeable Afrikaans- and Xhosa-speaking communities drawn originally by mine employment from across southern Africa.

Economy and Local Life

Matjhabeng was built on gold — Welkom, Odendaalsrus, Virginia and Allanridge form a mining belt that once ranked among the richest gold-producing areas in the world. That industry has shrunk sharply: as of 2021 about 150,000 adults in the municipality were unemployed, and roughly ten of the area’s gold mines have closed. Harmony Gold still operates in the district, and remaining mining, engineering-support and municipal services provide most formal employment, alongside agriculture (maize and livestock) around Hennenman and Ventersburg.

Getting There

The R30 links Welkom to Kroonstad and the N1 to the east; the R73 connects Welkom to Bothaville and Klerksdorp. Welkom Airport offers domestic flights; Bloemfontein’s Bram Fischer International Airport, about 160 km southeast, is the nearest major airport.

Welkom itself was purpose-built around a circular town plan in the 1940s to serve the new goldfields, and its wide roads and roundabouts still reflect that mining-town design. Odendaalsrus, Virginia and Allanridge are all linked to Welkom by tarred provincial roads within a 45-minute drive, making the whole mining belt a single functional urban area despite being split across several separate town names.

FAQ

What is the seat of Matjhabeng Local Municipality?
Welkom.

How many towns are in Matjhabeng?
Four main towns — Welkom, Odendaalsrus, Virginia and Allanridge — plus Hennenman, Ventersburg and numerous townships.

What is the population of Matjhabeng?
439,034 people at the 2022 census, up from 407,020 in 2011.

Which district and province is Matjhabeng in?
Lejweleputswa District, Free State province.

What is Matjhabeng’s main industry?
Gold mining historically, though many mines have closed; agriculture and municipal services now employ a growing share of residents.

Is Matjhabeng a metro or local municipality?
A local municipality — it is the largest by population in Lejweleputswa District but is not a metropolitan municipality.