Phalaborwa
A sign in Phalaporwa
Phalaborwa Location of Phalaborwa in Limpopo
Phalaborwa
Coordinates: 23°56′S 31°7′E / 23.933°S 31.117°E / -23.933; 31.117Coordinates: 23°56′S 31°7′E / 23.933°S 31.117°E / -23.933; 31.117
Country	South Africa
Province	Limpopo
District	Mopani
Municipality	Ba-Phalaborwa
Area[1]
• Total	191.10 km2 (73.78 sq mi)
Population (2001)[1]
• Total	12,938
• Density	68/km2 (180/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2001)[1]
• Black African	24.8%
• Coloured	1.2%
• Indian/Asian	0.4%
• White	73.6%
First languages (2001)[1]
• Afrikaans	59.9%
• English	16.3%
• Tsonga	8.1%
• Northern Sotho	6.0%
• Other	9.7%
Time zone	SAST (UTC+2)

Phalaborwa is a town situated in the Mopani District Municipality, Limpopo province, South Africa. It is located near the confluence of the Ga-Selati River and the Olifants, halfway up along the eastern border of the Kruger National Park in the Lowveld. This area, also known as the Valley of the Olifants, has the highest winter temperatures in South Africa. The rainfall is low and the average winter temperatures range from 11°C to 25°C. During summer the average temperatures vary from 20°C to 47 °C with occasional heavy rainfall.

Originally a mining town and still home to the Palabora Mining Company), the massive open cast mine is Africa's widest man-made hole at almost 2,000 meters wide.^[2]

Tourism and wildlife play a dominant role in the life of this town. It is the only town in South Africa that borders the Kruger National Park, the Mozambiquan border is only two hours drive away. Lately, with the incorporation of various private game reserves into the conservancy area, Phalaborwa is all but enclaved by nature conservancies. The Hans Merensky Golf Estate is situated on the skirts of the town.

Nearby natural attractions are Blyde River Canyon, the Rondavels, God's Window and Bourke Luck’s Potholes; the Tzaneen fruit farms and Hoedspruit game farms can all be visited within a day.

The name "Ba-Phalaborwa", given to the area by the Sotho tribes who moved here from the south, means better than the south. The Sotho mined and smelted copper and iron ore here as far back as 400 AD. Masorini, near Phalaborwa gate, is a reconstructed Ba-Phalaborwa hill village, with huts, grain storage areas, and an iron, smelting site.

There are two townships, Namakgale and Lulekani where the Pedi and Tsonga reside, and rural areas such as Mashishimale, Makushane and Ga-Maseke. It also the birth place of the babirwa baga malema who presently reside in the eastern part of Botswana.

South Africa's Protea cricketer Dale Steyn hails from Phalaborwa.

References[link]

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Main Place". Census 2001. http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/90411. 
2. ^ Mining

External links[link]

• Phalaborwa Trade & Tourism