List of Towns, Villages and Cities in Mkhondo Local Municipality

Mkhondo Local Municipality lies in the Gert Sibande District of Mpumalanga, South Africa. The 2022 census recorded 255,411 residents over 4,900.5 km², up from 171,982 in 2011. Piet Retief is the municipal seat.

Towns and Villages in Mkhondo

Piet Retief is the largest town and seat. GeoNames lists 28 distinct named places (one duplicate Driefontein entry merged); the main ones by recorded population:

Full list of named places in the municipality:

• Augsburg
• Berbice
• Brereton
• Brereton Park
• Commondale
• De Kraalen
• Dirkiesdorp
• Driefontein
• Enhlozana
• Evergreen
• Grootspruit
• Insephe
• Iswepe
• Kommetjie
• KwaNgema
• KwaThandeka
• Mooiplaas
• Moolman
• Ngema Tribal Trust
• Nilgekozen
• Piet Retief
• Spinnekop
• Sulphur Springs
• Vlakkloof
• Westoe
• Wittenberg
• eMkhondo
• eMvelo

Geography

Mkhondo covers rolling grassland and forestry country in southeastern Mpumalanga, close to the eSwatini and KwaZulu-Natal borders. Pine and gum plantations climb the higher ground around Piet Retief and Iswepe, while cattle grazing and cropland dominate the flatter country toward Amsterdam and Warburton. The Assegaai and Mkhondo (Assegaai) rivers, which give the municipality its name, drain the area south toward the Pongola system. It shares Gert Sibande District with Albert Luthuli, Msukaligwa, Pixley ka Seme, Lekwa, Dipaleseng and Govan Mbeki local municipalities.

Demographics

Population rose from 171,982 at the 2011 census to 255,411 at the 2022 census, a growth of nearly 50 percent, among the faster-growing municipalities in Gert Sibande District. Piet Retief and the Driefontein township hold most of the residents; the remaining towns, including Iswepe and Dirkiesdorp, are smaller forestry and farming settlements that have grown more slowly.

Economy and Local Life

Forestry and timber processing dominate the local economy — sawmills and pulpwood plantations around Piet Retief and Iswepe supply much of Mpumalanga’s timber industry — alongside beef and dairy farming on the surrounding highveld. Piet Retief serves as the commercial centre for the district’s southeastern corner and functions as a key border-crossing town toward eSwatini, with cross-border trade supporting local retail and transport businesses. Weekly livestock and produce markets in Piet Retief serve farmers from as far as the KwaZulu-Natal boundary.

Getting There

The N2 and R33 routes run through Piet Retief, connecting Mkhondo to Ermelo and Vryheid and to the eSwatini border post at Golela, roughly 60 km to the southeast. The town also lies on a secondary route into KwaZulu-Natal via Paulpietersburg. Piet Retief is about 260 km southeast of Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, a drive of roughly three hours.

FAQ

What is the seat of Mkhondo Local Municipality?
Piet Retief.

How many towns and villages does Mkhondo have?
GeoNames records 28 distinct named places.

What is the population of Mkhondo?
255,411 at the 2022 census, up from 171,982 in 2011.

Which district and province is Mkhondo in?
Gert Sibande District, Mpumalanga.

What is Mkhondo’s economy based on?
Forestry, timber processing and livestock farming.

Where does the name Mkhondo come from?
The Mkhondo (Assegaai) River, which runs through the municipality.

Is Mkhondo mostly urban or rural?
Predominantly rural — Piet Retief is the only sizeable town; most of the municipality is commercial forestry and farmland.

What crosses eSwatini near Mkhondo?
The Golela border post, reached from Piet Retief via the N2.

How far is Piet Retief from Johannesburg?
About 350 km, roughly a four-hour drive via the N17 and N2.

What language groups live in Mkhondo?
Predominantly siSwati and Zulu speakers in the villages, with Afrikaans widely spoken among Piet Retief’s farming community.

What is the climate like in Mkhondo?
Mild, high-rainfall highveld climate, well suited to timber plantations and dairy farming.