The Valley of Waves at
The Valley of Waves at Sun City. Credit: Sun City The province’s three Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and the well-respected North-West University all have several campuses catering to a wide range of educational disciplines. The university has a strong reputation as a research institution. Major towns Mahikeng The capital city of the North West Province lies on the banks of the Molopo River. Situated in the north-west sector of the province near the Botswana border, the city has a strong services sector and a population of approximately 300 000. The city’s main sectors are financial services, services, transport and trade. The Garona District houses the North West parliament and government buildings. The arts are promoted by the Mmabana Cultural Centre, while the North West Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management is one of three tertiary institutions in the city. North-West University’s Graduate School of Business and Government Leadership is located in the city, and Unisa has a presence. Other institutions are the Taletso TVET College and the International School of South Africa. The town is well served by hotels such as the Mmabatho Palms, Hotel and Casino Convention Resort. White rhino and giraffe can be found at the Mahikeng Game Reserve. Tlokwe The city of Potchefstroom is administered by the Tlokwe Local Municipality. A large campus of North-West University and its business school is located in the city, as is the Vuselela TVET College and the Potchefstroom College of Agriculture. More than 120 000 people regularly attended the annual Aardklop Festival before Covid. The city has a population of about 173 000. The sports facilities of North-West University are world-class and have been the base for Spain’s soccer team and Australia’s cricket team in world cups. Tlokwe is a hub for the strong commercial agriculture of the region and has several food and beverage manufacturers including Nestlé. Some of the bigger enterprises include fertiliser companies such as Kynoch, munitions manufacturers, and food processors like King Food. An army base contributes to the economy, and the airfield formerly used by the military is now run by the municipality. The N12 Treasure Route passes through the city and holds potential for further development of tourist highlights such as Boskop Dam and the Mooi River on which the town is located. Rustenburg Rustenburg is a local municipality within the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality and the headquarters of both bodies are in the city of about 625 000 residents. NORTH WEST BUSINESS 2021/22 12
an important regional centre and the town where several important companies' headquarters are located. These include Senwes, through whose silos a large proportion of South Africa's grains move every year, and a number of engineering enterprises which serve the mining industry. areas. The Bloemhof Bonanza is the biggest and most lucrative inland-angling event in South Africa, with more than 2 000 anglers trying to win R1.5-million in prize money. SPECIAL The nearby FEATURESA Lombard Nature Reserve has a fine herd of black wildebeest. Municipalities in North West Province Limpopo BOTSWANA Ramotshere Moiloa Moses Kotane Bojanala Madibeng Moretele Molopo Mafikeng Kgetlengrivier Rustenburg Kagisano Ratlou Ngaka Modiri Molema Ditsobotla JB Marks Gauteng Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati Tswaing Dr Kenneth Kaunda Naledi Matlosana Mamusa Maquassi Hills Northern Cape Greater Taung Lekwa-Teemane Free State Metropolitan/District Municipality Boundary Local Municipality Boundary District Municipality Local Municipality Bojanala Naledi NORTH WEST BUSINESS 2019 Rustenburg straddles the N4 “Platinum Highway” about 120km west of the cities of Pretoria and Johannesburg in the Gauteng Province, the economic hub of South Africa. The N4 stretches across South Africa from Mozambique in the east, to the Botswana border in the west and, as the Trans Kalahari Route, ultimately to Namibia. At the foot of the Magaliesberg Mountain Range, Rustenburg is only 50km from one of the country’s premier tourist resorts, Sun City, which in turn is adjacent to the 550km² Pilanesberg National Park and Game Reserve which has a small airport. Orbit TVET College has a campus in Rustenburg, Unisa has a regional office and the Agricultural Research Institute’s Industrial Crops Division is also located in the city. The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace hosted five group matches in the 2010 World Cup. Platinum mining began in 1929 and has driven the city’s growth ever since. ■ 30
