 The North West province lies on the border of Botswana in the north and Witwatersrand in Gauteng in the east. West of the North West Province lies the Kalahari Desert. Travel through the North West Province to see the Magaliesberg Mountains and Pilanesberg lopolith, close to Gauteng, which was formed by internal forces millions of years ago.
Travel through the North West Province and one will see the grasslands and savannah vegetation which are ideal for cattle farming. Maize, peanuts, sunflowers and wheat are produced by crop farmers. Tobacco, cotton, subtropical fruit, oranges, peaches, vegetables and flowers are also produced in North West. The Platinum mines of the Rustenburg region are the largest producers of platinum in the world. Gold, diamonds, marble and fluorspar are also mined in North West. Most industries are mining related.
Mafikeng is the capital of North West. Other important urban areas as traveling through the North West Province are Rustenburg, Brits, Klerksdorp, Potchefstroom, GaRankuwa, Lichtenburg, Vryburg and Zeerust. Travel through the North West Province to the Sun City entertainment centre, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. The population of 3.8 million mainly speaks Setswana, Afrikaans and IsiXhosa.
North West Province falls in the summer rainfall region of South Africa. The rainfall decreases from east to west. Mafikeng’s annual rainfall is 539 mm per year. The rainfall occurs often in the form of late afternoon thundershowers. The summers are warm to very hot, while the winter days are sunny and temperate and the winter nights are cool to cold.
The main attractions of North West include the following:
• Sun City entertainment centre:
Four luxurious hotels, theatres, golf courses, artificial beach and sea, gambling halls etc.
• Hartebeestpoort Dam:
Popular spot for weekend outings, beautiful scenery, fishing, motorboats, water skiing, cable car and snake park.
• De Wildt cheetah farm:
Breeding program for cheetahs, wild dogs and vultures .
• Nature reserves:
Pilanesberg nature reserve, Madikwe nature reserve, Magaliesberg nature reserve.
• Historic Route of Mafikeng:
Includes an Anglo-Boer/ South African War siege site. |
