Madibeng Local Municipality lies in Bojanala Platinum District, North West province. The 2022 census counted 522,566 people over 3,720 km², seated at Brits. Its economy runs on a mix of platinum mining and the Hartbeespoort Dam tourism belt, giving it a broader base than the mining-only towns further north.
Towns and Villages in Madibeng
Brits, the seat, and the Hartbeespoort resort area anchor the municipality, with Soshanguve and Letlhabile as its largest townships and dozens of smaller bushveld farm settlements filling in the rest.
| Place | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Brits | Seat | 122,497 |
| Letlhabile | Township | 49,718 |
| Hartbeespoort | Town | 26,732 |
| Mooinooi | Town | 5,670 |
| Soshanguve | Township | — |
| Hebron | Town | — |
| Jericho | Village | — |
| Bapong | Village | — |
Other settlements:
- Aasvogelboom
- Assen
- Atlanta
- Bakwena Ba Magopa
- Beestekraal
- Bosfontein
- Broederstroom
- Buffelspruit
- De Wildt
- Dipompong
- Fafung
- Ga-Kwate
- Ga-Rasai
- Garantlapane
- Hoekfontein
- Ifafi
- Jacksonstuin
- Kalkheuvel
- Kgabalatsane
- Kgomo-Kgomo
- Klipgat
- Koedoespoort
- Kosmos
- Krokodilkraal
- Kwarriekraal
- Legonyane
- Lerulaneng
- Lone Star Texas
- Maboloka
- Madinyane
- Majakaneng
- Makan
- Makanyaneng
- Makgabetlwane
- Mankgekgetha
- Mapella
- Mapoch
- Melodie
- Mmakau
- Mmakaunyane
- Modderspruit
- Moiletswane
- Mooke
- Motshikiri
- Moumong
- Ntsopile
- Pansdrif
- Pelindaba
- Rabokala
- Ramolapong
- Roodekuil
- Rooikoppies
- Sandfontein
- Schoemansville
- Segwaelane
- Sephai
- Seringa Stad
- Shakung
- Sonop
- Soshanguve South
- Thabantswana
- Tornado
- Tshwara
- Tshwee
Geography
Madibeng straddles the Magaliesberg range around the Hartbeespoort Dam, bordering Moretele and Rustenburg within Bojanala Platinum District, and reaching the Tshwane metro boundary in Gauteng. The dam and surrounding cliffs give the eastern part of the municipality a scenic, tourism-oriented character distinct from the flatter mining land further west.
Brits was established in 1934 and named after Coenraad de Buys Brits, a Boer War general; the surrounding farming district was already well settled by the time the platinum industry expanded through the second half of the 20th century. Hartbeespoort’s dam, completed in 1923 for irrigation, only became a tourism draw decades later as Gauteng’s population grew close enough to visit for day trips.
Demographics
Population grew from 475,795 in 2011 to 522,566 in 2022, driven by commuter growth near the Tshwane border and steady visitor-linked development around Hartbeespoort. Brits and its surrounding townships hold the largest single share of residents.
Economy and Local Life
Weekend and holiday traffic to Hartbeespoort also supports a large informal and small-business sector — craft markets, guesthouses and restaurants — distinct from the platinum and citrus economy elsewhere in the municipality.
Platinum mining anchors the economy alongside Hartbeespoort’s tourism trade — boat cruises, the Hartbeespoort Dam and the Cableway draw day visitors from Gauteng year-round. Brits serves as the municipal and retail centre, with a growing manufacturing base linked to the platinum sector and to Pelindaba’s nuclear-research facility nearby.
Letlhabile and Soshanguve, Madibeng’s largest townships, house much of the workforce for Brits’s platinum-linked and manufacturing employers, while smaller farm villages such as Bapong and Jericho remain closely tied to the surrounding agricultural land.
Getting There
The R104 and R511 link Brits and Hartbeespoort to Pretoria/Tshwane, about 50 km east. OR Tambo International, near Johannesburg, is the nearest major airport, an hour or so further on.
Brits also hosts a significant citrus and vegetable farming belt along the Crocodile River, feeding both local markets and export packhouses. The mix of mining, tourism, farming and Tshwane-commuter housing gives Madibeng one of the more varied economies among North West’s municipalities.
FAQ
How many people live in Madibeng?
Just over half a million, making it one of North West’s larger municipalities.
What is the seat of Madibeng Local Municipality?
Brits.
What is Madibeng’s population?
522,566 at the 2022 census, up from 475,795 in 2011.
Which district is Madibeng in?
Bojanala Platinum District, North West province.
Is Hartbeespoort in Madibeng?
Yes, the Hartbeespoort Dam tourism area falls inside Madibeng.
What is Madibeng’s biggest town?
Brits, the seat, with roughly 122,000 people.