Potgietersrus (Mokopane)

Potgietersrus, or Mokopane as the village is nowadays also called, is located in the Limpopo province. Because Potgietersrus is about a two-hour drive from Gauteng, it is a good stopping place for people traveling through to Botswana, Zimbabwe and the Kruger National Park. The beautiful bushveld and the influence of Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Tsonga, Sesotho and the African and English culture give the village a unique character.

The area that is mainly characterized by bushveld, with many acacia trees and succulents, also has an agricultural value because it is rich in grain, tobacco, cotton, corn, nuts and citrus fruits. In addition, the soil here is rich and of enormous value due to the minerals being mined there; Platinum, granite and diamonds see the light of day here. You can visit the diamond and platinum mines. You can make bookings for this at the information center.

Hendrik Potgieter is the Voortrekker who settled here in 1852, he called it Vredenburg, but in 1858 it was given the name of Piet Potgieter by another Voortrekker. The name Mokopane is to honor the Ndebele chief with the same name.

In the village you will find The Johan Koch Art Gallery, which shows work by the artist of the same name who specialized in painting wild animals. More paintings can also be found as you go into nature, there are numerous caves and overhanging rocks where you can find San Rock Art.
Midway Ceramics is 20 kilometers away between Mokopane and Polokwane. A pottery that is open to the public on working days and where you can watch how all kinds of pots are made by hand. More art can be found in Sue’s Homenet Village, where you can also enjoy a cool drink in an old house.
You can go into nature in various ways and there are numerous outdoor activities such as hiking, hiking, 4×4 trails, game viewing, bird watching and fishing. Thabaphaswa and Doorndraai Dam Nature Reserve are beautiful nature reserves to discover. The dam is not safe to go swimming in the past, bilharzia has been detected in the water. If you want to undertake a two-day walking tour here, you must book it in advance. The Thabapaswa Mountain-bike Trails are two mountain bike routes where you cycle 40 kilometers over hilly terrain along beautiful rock formations. And with a bit of luck you will also come across some small game here.

At the Mokopane Nature Reserve and Game Breeding Center you can go on a tour or game drive with a guide. The breeding center has many different and special African animals, but also animals from the rest of the world are taken care of here.

Botanists may enjoy it even more when they hear that at Ana Trees north of Waterberg, explorer David Livingstone camped here many times under the beautiful trees.

There are numerous caves in the area that are of Archaeological significance. Millions of millions of years old revealed secrets in the form of a 3.3 million year old Monkey-Man and numerous fossils of plants and animals. Want to know more about the history and archaeological finds of Potgietersrus and the surrounding area? Visit the Arend Dieperink Museum.

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