Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality sits in the Sekhukhune District of Limpopo province. It had 575,960 people at the 2022 census, up from 428,948 in 2011, across 5,693.4 km². The seat is Burgersfort.
The municipality formed in August 2016, merging the Fetakgomo and Greater Tubatse local municipalities into one council covering the Steelpoort platinum belt and the surrounding Sekhukhuneland villages.
Towns and Villages in Fetakgomo Tubatse
| Place | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Burgersfort | Town | seat, mining service town |
| Praktiseer | Town | largest settlement, mine housing |
| Tukakgomo | Township | attached to Praktiseer |
| Penge | Village | former asbestos-mining town |
| Apel | Administrative centre | traditional authority seat |
| Steelpoort | Town | ferrochrome smelting |
| Ohrigstad | Town | farming and tourism |
| Driekop | Village | platinum-belt village |
Fetakgomo Tubatse counts 117 named places in GeoNames records. The core list of towns and villages:
- Alverton
- Amosa
- Apel
- Derdegelid
- Dithabaneng
- Driekop
- Ga-Ishe
- Ga-Kgwete
- Ga-Mabotsa
- Ga-Maditsa
- Ga-Mafate
- Ga-Mahlokwane
- Ga-Makhwae
- Ga-Makofane
- Ga-Malepe
- Ga-Mamphahlane
- Ga-Manapane
- Ga-Mankopane
- Ga-Maroga
- Ga-Masamothane
- Ga-Mashishi
- Ga-Mathipa
- Ga-Matokomane
- Ga-Matsi
- Ga-Mmamogolo
- Ga-Mongatane
- Ga-Motodi
- Ga-Motshana
- Ga-Nkwana
- Ga-Podile
- Ga-Radingwana
- Ga-Riba
- Ga-Sekhukhune
- Ga-Selala
- Ga-Wannankaya
- Gowe
- Ironstone
- Kgautswane
- Kgoponeng
- Kgotlopong
- Kromellenboog
- Leboeng
- Ledingwe
- Legobwe
- Lekgwareng
- Lesetse
- Maahlashi
- Maandagshoek
- Mabitseng
- Mabotsha
- Magapaneng
- Mahlasi
- Mahubahuba
- Makgake
- Makgoba
- Makgwareng
- Makopung
- Makubu
- Malokele
- Manawaneng
- Manyaka
- Maotsi
- Mapareng
- Maphopha
- Maropeng
- Masehleng
- Matshiretsane
- Melau
- Modubeng
- Mogaba
- Mohlarutse
- Mokgorwane
- Mokoropo
- Molapong
- Monotwane
- Mooiklip
- Morapaneng
- Moshira
- Motlamotshe
- Motlolo
- Motsetladi
- Motutulong
- Mphanama
- Naboomkoppies
- Nakana
- Ngkoane
- Ntsapung
- Pelangwe
- Penge
- Phahla
- Phiring
- Poung
- Praktiseer
- Radingwane
- Rietfontein
- Sefosetladi
- Segorong
- Sehlaku
- Sekhukhuneland
- Sekopung
- Seokodibeng
- Serokolo
- Sesehu
- Sesesehu
- Strydkraal
- Swale
- Taung
- Thabantsho
- Tiekiedraai
- Tsao
- Tshate
- Tsidintsing
- Tswenyane
- Tukakgomo
- Twyfelaar
- Windhoek
- Zwaartkop Native Location
Geography
Fetakgomo Tubatse lies on the eastern rim of Sekhukhuneland, where the Drakensberg escarpment drops toward the Lowveld. The Steelpoort River valley cuts through the municipality, and the Bushveld Igneous Complex outcrops as the platinum-bearing reef the local mines follow. Rolling grassland and thornveld cover the western wards around Apel, while the eastern Steelpoort corridor is steeper and rockier, cut by the Steelpoort and Ohrigstad rivers. Within Sekhukhune District, it borders Elias Motsoaledi and Makhuduthamaga municipalities, and Mpumalanga province to the east.
Demographics
The population grew from 428,948 at the 2011 census to 575,960 in 2022, a rise of about 34% — one of the faster growth rates in Sekhukhune District. Growth concentrates around Burgersfort and Praktiseer, driven by mine employment and the housing that follows it. Sepedi is the dominant home language across the rural wards, with smaller pockets of Northern Ndebele speakers near the Mpumalanga boundary.
Economy and Local Life
Platinum group metals mining anchors the economy: the Steelpoort valley hosts several PGM and chrome operations built on the Bushveld Complex’s Merensky and UG2 reefs, and Steelpoort town itself runs a ferrochrome smelter. Penge’s economy shifted after its asbestos mine closed decades ago, leaving the village dependent on farming and mine commuting. Burgersfort has grown into the district’s busiest retail and services town on the back of mine payrolls. Away from the mines, most households in the Apel and Ga-Riba wards rely on subsistence farming, cattle and remittances from mine workers.
Getting There
The R37 links Burgersfort to Polokwane in the west and Lydenburg (Mashishing) in Mpumalanga to the east. The R555 runs north through Steelpoort and Praktiseer. The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Polokwane International Airport, about 140 km away.
FAQ
What is the seat of Fetakgomo Tubatse?
Burgersfort.
When was Fetakgomo Tubatse formed?
In August 2016, by merging the former Fetakgomo and Greater Tubatse local municipalities.
What is the population?
575,960 at the 2022 census, up from 428,948 in 2011.
Which district does it belong to?
Sekhukhune District Municipality, Limpopo province.
What is the main industry?
Platinum group metals mining along the Steelpoort valley.
How many settlements are in Fetakgomo Tubatse?
GeoNames records list 117 named places across the merged Fetakgomo and Greater Tubatse areas.
What language is mostly spoken?
Sepedi (Northern Sotho), spoken across the majority of rural wards.