Sekhukhune District Municipality covers the Sekhukhuneland region of eastern Limpopo province. It had 1,336,805 people at the 2022 census, up from 1,076,839 in 2011, spread over four local municipalities. The district seat is Groblersdal.
Local Municipalities in Sekhukhune
| Municipality | Seat | 2022 pop |
|---|---|---|
| Ephraim Mogale | Marble Hall | 132,468 |
| Elias Motsoaledi | Groblersdal | 288,049 |
| Makhuduthamaga | Jane Furse | 340,328 |
| Fetakgomo Tubatse | Burgersfort | 575,960 |
Major Towns
Across the district’s member municipalities, the largest towns are Praktiseer, Tukakgomo, Penge and Burgersfort (Fetakgomo Tubatse), Lebowakgomo-adjacent Jane Furse and surrounding villages (Makhuduthamaga), Groblersdal and Elandskraal (Elias Motsoaledi), and Marble Hall and Laersdrift-area settlements (Ephraim Mogale). Sekhukhuneland’s villages are mostly small, Sepedi-speaking rural settlements grouped under traditional authorities.
Geography
The district takes its name from Sekhukhuneland, the historical territory of the Pedi king Sekhukhune, who resisted both Boer and British forces in the 19th century from strongholds in these mountains. It spans 13,528 km² of escarpment and bushveld terrain, bordered by the Bushveld Igneous Complex’s platinum reef in the east and the Olifants River valley in the west. The terrain rises from the Olifants River floor around Groblersdal to rugged hill country in the Sekhukhuneland heartland, then drops again toward the Steelpoort valley. Sekhukhune borders Capricorn and Mopani districts within Limpopo, and Mpumalanga province to the east.
Economy and Local Life
Platinum group metals mining dominates the Fetakgomo Tubatse portion of the district, around Steelpoort and Burgersfort, and is the single largest source of formal employment district-wide. Elsewhere, most households depend on subsistence agriculture, livestock and remittances from migrant mine and government workers. Marble Hall and Groblersdal support irrigated citrus and vegetable farming along the Olifants River, some of the most productive farmland in the district. Jane Furse, seat of Makhuduthamaga, has grown into a busy secondary trading town serving the surrounding rural wards.
History
Sekhukhuneland’s name honours the Pedi king Sekhukhune I, whose kingdom fought two wars against neighbouring Boer and British forces in the 1870s before its defeat in 1879. The district municipality was established in the 2000 local government reorganisation, and its member municipalities were consolidated from five to four when Fetakgomo and Greater Tubatse merged in 2016.
FAQ
What is the seat of Sekhukhune District?
Groblersdal.
How many local municipalities does it have?
Four: Ephraim Mogale, Elias Motsoaledi, Makhuduthamaga and Fetakgomo Tubatse.
What is the district’s population?
1,336,805 at the 2022 census.
Which province is Sekhukhune in?
Limpopo.
What is the main industry?
Platinum group metals mining in the Fetakgomo Tubatse area; farming elsewhere.