Thabazimbi Local Municipality (LIM361)

Description: The Thabazimbi Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located within the Waterberg District in the south-western part of the Limpopo Province. It has Botswana as its international neighbour, and is a mere two-hour drive from Pretoria. It is one of five municipalities in the district.

Thabazimbi is known as ‘mountain of iron’, which is a Setswana name referring to the highly lucrative iron ore reef first discovered in the municipality in 1919. The municipality has Marakele National Park, which is a subsidiary of the National Parks Board, and in the same standard as the Kruger National Park and Mapungube. It has been mined since the 1930s, when iron and steel production started. Apart from iron ore, the Thabazimbi Municipality is surrounded by platinum-producing areas. Other minerals produced in the area include andalusite.

Agriculture has also proven to be a strong economic sector in the municipality. Agricultural commodities produced are wheat, beans and maize. The municipality’s goals are aligned with those of the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy in Limpopo. This will ensure that the growth trajectory also addresses the objective of poverty eradication through job creation and business opportunity stimulation.