Vhembe District Municipality covers four local municipalities in Limpopo’s far north, home to 1,653,078 people in the 2022 census across roughly 25,597 km². Its offices are in Thohoyandou, the former capital of the Venda homeland.
The district takes its name from the Venda word for the Limpopo River, which forms its northern border with Zimbabwe.
Local Municipalities in Vhembe
| Municipality | Seat | 2022 population |
|---|---|---|
| Makhado | Louis Trichardt | 502,452 |
| Thulamela | Thohoyandou | 575,929 |
| Collins Chabane | Malamulele | 443,798 |
| Musina | Musina | 130,899 |
Major Towns
- Thohoyandou
- Louis Trichardt (Makhado)
- Musina
- Malamulele
- Sibasa
- Tshitereke
- Vuwani
- Ka-Mhinga
- Levubu
- Vaalwater
Geography
Vhembe District runs from the Soutpansberg mountains and Levubu’s subtropical farmland around Makhado, through Thulamela’s Nzhelele and Luvuvhu valleys to the Kruger National Park boundary at Pafuri, east to Collins Chabane’s Xitsonga-speaking lowveld, and north to Musina on the Zimbabwe border. The Limpopo River forms the district’s entire northern edge, and protected areas including Kruger National Park, Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape and the Makuleke Wetlands lie within or along its borders.
The Soutpansberg range, running east-west through Makhado and into Thulamela, is Vhembe’s most distinctive landform — a high-rainfall mountain belt that separates the drier lowveld to its north and east from the maize and cattle country of the Springbok Flats further south. Wyllie’s Poort carries the N1 through this range, the main road link connecting the district’s four municipalities to the rest of Limpopo and on to Zimbabwe.
Economy and Local Life
Subtropical fruit farming and forestry around Levubu, cross-border trade and logistics through Musina and Beitbridge, and government and commercial services centred on Thohoyandou and Louis Trichardt make up the district’s main formal employment. Communal and small-scale farming supports most rural households across Collins Chabane and the outlying wards of Thulamela and Makhado, while conservation tourism around Kruger, Mapungubwe and the Soutpansberg adds a further income stream.
Each local municipality carries a distinct role in this economy: Makhado’s Levubu valley supplies bananas, avocados and macadamia nuts to national and export markets, Thulamela’s Thohoyandou functions as the district’s administrative capital, Collins Chabane’s Malamulele area depends heavily on small trade and remittances, and Musina’s position on the N1 makes it the district’s main freight and border-crossing point into Zimbabwe.
FAQ
What municipalities make up Vhembe District?
Makhado, Thulamela, Collins Chabane and Musina.
What is the population of Vhembe District?
1,653,078 people (2022 census).
Where is the district office?
Thohoyandou, inside Thulamela Local Municipality.
What is Vhembe District named after?
The Venda word for the Limpopo River, which forms the district’s northern border with Zimbabwe.