Moses Kotane Local Municipality lies in Bojanala Platinum District, North West province. The 2022 census counted 265,668 people over 5,726 km², seated at Mogwase. Unlike its Rustenburg neighbour, Moses Kotane has no single dominant town — its population is spread across dozens of rural villages around the Pilanesberg.
Towns and Villages in Moses Kotane
Mogwase, the seat, sits alongside the Pilanesberg National Park and the Sun City resort, with a wide scatter of villages across the surrounding bushveld.
| Place | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mogwase | Seat | 12,871 |
| Sun Village | Town | 1,592 |
| Sun City | Resort town | 1,556 |
| Madikwe | Village | 4,340 |
| Saulspoort | Village | — |
| Mabeskraal | Village | — |
| Ledig | Village | — |
| Lesetlheng | Village | — |
Other settlements:
- Bakubung Lodge
- Bapong
- Bierkraal
- Bojating
- Boriteng
- Cronjes Boomen
- Davidskuil
- Dinokaneng
- Doornspruit
- Doringpoort
- Driestat
- Ga-Masilela
- Ga-Mathako
- Ga-Mokgatlha
- Ga-Ramoga
- Ga-Ramokoka
- Ga-Raphiri
- Goedgevond
- Heystekrand
- Kakoshong
- Kayakulu
- Kgamatha
- Khavakhulu
- Kolobeng
- Leeuwkuil
- Legogolwe
- Lekutung
- Lesobeng
- Lethakeng
- Losmytjerrie
- Mabele-a-podi
- Magalane
- Magong
- Makgope
- Makweleng
- Manamakgoteng
- Manamela
- Mankaipaya
- Mantsho
- Mapaputle
- Marapalalo
- Maretlwana
- Masekolane
- Matlapeng
- Matlhagame
- Matooster
- Matrooster
- Metsikgetlane
- Mmantserre
- Mmatau
- Mmopyane
- Mmorogong
- Modimong
- Mogoditshane
- Mokgalwaneng
- Mokgoatsi
- Molatedi
- Molorwe
- Mononono
- Mosito
- Motlhabe
- Moubana
- Mphonyoke
- Nkogolwe
- Nonceba
- Ntsana-le-Metsing
- Ou Thomas se Loop
- Phuting
- Pilanesberg Center
- Pitsedisulejang
- Ramosibitswana
- Ratsegae
- Silkaatskop
- Thabeng
- Tiokweng
- Tlhatlhaganyane
- Tswaaneng
- Tumaskop
- Uitlanderskraal
- Vlakfontein
- Vlakplaats
- Vrede
- Vrisgewaagd
- Witrantjie
- Wydhoek
Geography
Moses Kotane wraps around the Pilanesberg volcanic complex in bushveld terrain, bordering Rustenburg within Bojanala Platinum District and reaching rural areas toward the Botswana border to the west. The Pilanesberg’s ring of hills, formed from an ancient volcanic crater, is the municipality’s most distinctive landscape feature.
Moses Kotane takes its name from the South African Communist Party leader and ANC treasurer-general born near Pella, in what is now the municipality. Sun City opened in 1979 as a casino and entertainment resort just outside the Pilanesberg — then part of the nominally independent Bophuthatswana homeland — and the Pilanesberg itself was proclaimed a national park in 1979 after a large-scale wildlife reintroduction project.
Demographics
Population grew from 242,554 in 2011 to 265,668 in 2022, spread across dozens of small rural villages rather than concentrated in one dominant town — Mogwase, the largest, holds only a small share of the municipal total.
Economy and Local Life
Craft markets and small guesthouses around the Pilanesberg gate towns add a modest secondary tourism income stream alongside the larger Sun City operation.
Tourism is the main formal-sector employer, centred on the Pilanesberg National Park and the Sun City resort, which draw both domestic and international visitors. Platinum mining and subsistence farming support the surrounding villages, many of which fall under traditional Bafokeng and Bakgatla authority.
Beyond Sun City and the Pilanesberg, most of the municipality’s villages depend on livestock keeping, small-scale crop farming and remittances from family members working in Rustenburg’s mines or in Gauteng, rather than direct tourism income.
Getting There
The R565 and R556 link Mogwase and Sun City to Rustenburg, about 50 km south. Pilanesberg International Airport, near Sun City, handles regional and charter flights for resort visitors.
Traditional leadership plays a large role in local governance here — much of the municipality’s land falls under the Bafokeng and Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela traditional authorities, which run their own development and royalty-linked investment programmes alongside the municipal government.
FAQ
What is the seat of Moses Kotane Local Municipality?
Mogwase.
What is Moses Kotane’s population?
265,668 at the 2022 census, up from 242,554 in 2011.
Is Sun City in Moses Kotane?
Yes, Sun City and Pilanesberg National Park both fall inside the municipality.
Which district is Moses Kotane in?
Bojanala Platinum District, North West province.
How many villages are in Moses Kotane?
Dozens of small rural villages, listed above, spread across the Pilanesberg bushveld.