Lephalale Local Municipality

Geography, History & Economy

Lephalale Local Municipality is part of Waterberg District Municipality.

MDB code: LIM362

Description: The Lephalale Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the north-western part of the Waterberg District in the Limpopo Province. It borders with four local municipalities: Blouberg, Modimolle-Mookgophong, Mogalakwena and Thabazimbi. Its north-western border is also part of the international border between South Africa and Botswana. It is the largest of five municipalities in the district, making up a third of its geographical area.
The town of Lephalale (previously Ellisras) is located a mere 280km from Pretoria, and is a recognised gateway to Botswana and other Southern African countries. Lephalale Municipality is named after the local river, a tributary of the Limpopo River, which has been the source of life to the people of this area from time immemorial. Before the new dispensation, this municipality was called Ellisras; derived from the combination of surnames of two Afrikaners, Patric Ellis and Piet Erasmus, who settled in this area in the 1930s.
Nestled at the spur of the Waterberg Mountains, Lephalale is a place of peace and breathtaking beauty. Highlights like the awe-inspiring D’Nyala Nature Reserve, Marakele National Park, and the spectacular Mokolo Dam and Nature Reserve underscore why Lephalale is called the ‘heartbeat of the Waterberg Bushveld’. As part of the Waterberg biosphere, the Lephalale area is richly blessed with pristine natural beauty and an abundance of fauna and flora.
Lephalale offers an infinite variety of scenic contrasts and encompasses the unique Waterberg wilderness, which boasts superb vistas, mountain gorges, clear streams and rolling hills. Geological sites and rock art are a strong drawcard for the region, suggesting its links to many previous generations.
Lephalale has been identified by the Limpopo Employment Growth and Development Plan as a petrochemical cluster, and has attained the status of national development node. The Waterberg coal fields, which boast more than 40% of the total coal reserves of South Africa, are located in Lephalale.

Area: 13 794km²

Cities/Towns: Lephalale

Main Economic Sectors: Mining and quarrying (71.4%), finance, insurance, real estate and business services (5.2%), wholesale and retail trade, catering and accommodation (4.4%), transport, storage and communication (4.4%), general government (4.3%), agriculture, forestry and fishing (3.9%), electricity, gas and water (2.8%)