Destination overview

A fascinating blend of ancient and modern.

The North West Province of South Africa is bounded on the north by Botswana, on the south by the provinces of Free State and the Northern Cape and on the north-east and east by the Limpopo Province and Gauteng. Covering 118,797 square kilometres the North West Province was created in 1994 by the merger of Bophuthatswana, one of the former bantustans (or black homelands) and the western part of Transvaal, one of the four former South African provinces.

Much of the province consists of flat areas of scattered trees and grassland. The Magaliesberg mountain range in the north-east extends about 130 kilometres from Pretoria to Rustenburg and the Vaal River flows along the southern border of the province. Temperatures range from 17°C to 31°C in the summer and from 3°C to 21°C in winter. Mafikeng, formerly Mafeking, serves as the provincial capital. Other significant towns include Brits, Klerksdorp, Lichtenburg, Potchefstroom, Rustenburg and Sun City.