Situated within South Africa’s northernmost border, the Limpopo Province is truly our gateway to Africa as it borders South Africa with Zimbambwe, Botswana and Mozambique.
The province was formed from the northern region of Transvaal Province, and initially named Northern Transvaal, which then became Northern Province. This name remained until 2003 when it was named Limpopo. It is named after the Limpopo River that flows through the province to neighbouring countries, the name Limpopo has its etymological origin from the Sepedi word diphororo tša meetse – meaning strong gushing waterfalls.
The province is coined the Bread and Fruit Basket of South Africa, today producing up to 60% of all fruit, vegetables, maize meal, wheat and cotton. The Pedi people, a great nation of African descent, were the first to take advantage of the rich agricultural areas. They shaped their homeland centuries ago in the east, a place rich in platinum. They adapted to the harsh landscapes of this area that formed their lifestyle and traditions.
It is only when European settlers from the Cape looking to start a new life that great change gave rise to the lives of the indigenous tribes of Limpopo. The invasion of the Pedi territory by Europeans led to hopeless conflict and resulted in bloody battles. The history of the Limpopo Province is filled with events of settlement and conflict, war and peace. The statue of the well known Long Tom cannon that can be seen in Haenertsberg is a silent representation of the battles fought for the land.
The Voortrekkers influenced the indigenous people of Limpopo with Christian faith and they brought western ways of education and beliefs. They discovered the highly tillable soil and scorching temperate climate accommodated their agricultural, and industrial lifestyle, as the province has the world's largest reserves of platinum group metals are to be found in the centre of the province, which also has rich deposits of chrome as well as large coal reserves.
The European introduced a new demographic to the people and today the population of Limpopo consists of several ethnic groups distinguished by culture, language and race. The Northern Sotho of which the Bapedi are part of make up the largest percentage of the Black population, being 52% of the province. The Tsonga, (Shangaan) speakers comprise about 17.0% of the province, while the Venda people make up about 16.7%. Afrikaners makes up the majority of whites in Limpopo.
Being a province rich in history as well as it's known for bushveld and wildlife reserves if you travel local route from Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site through Musina, to the northern reaches of the Kruger National Park to the Thulamela site, it's easy to cast your mind back and reconstruct life here about five centuries ago, when many civilisations met and traded on these waters.
With the province’s year round tourist-friendly weather and diverse nature, manmade attractions have all contributed to Limpopo being a popular destination and one can enjoy many events that happen throughout the year.
READ:Lose yourself in magical Mapungubwe