Phalaborwa
A mining town right on the edge of the Kruger National Park.
History
The Ba-Phalaborwa people mined and smelted copper and iron here from about 400 AD; the reconstructed hill village at Masorini shows their furnaces. The name is usually translated as 'better than the south'. The modern town grew from the 1950s around Foskor's phosphate mine (founded 1951) and the Palabora Mining Company's open-pit copper mine, which opened in 1964 and went underground after 2002.
Getting there
About 490 km from Johannesburg via the N1 to Polokwane and the R71 through Tzaneen, or via the R40/R71 from Hoedspruit. Hendrik Van Eck (Phalaborwa) Airport, on the edge of town about 3 km from the Kruger gate, has daily flights from Johannesburg and car hire.
Weather & climate
Hot, low-rainfall subtropical bushveld climate with about 530 mm of rain a year, mostly in summer storms. Summers range from about 20 °C to 45 °C (a 50 °C record was set in December 2018), while winters are the warmest in South Africa at roughly 9-26 °C.
Things to do
- Golf with wildlife at Hans MerenskyPlay the 18-hole Hans Merensky course on the Kruger fence where giraffe, zebra and warthog wander the fairways and hippos and crocodiles live in the water hazards.
- Kruger day and night safaris from PhalaborwaLocal operators run open-vehicle game drives, night drives and bush walks into Kruger via the Phalaborwa Gate, just minutes from town. nandzana.co.za
- Limpopo Marula FestivalAnnual music and cultural festival celebrating the marula harvest with traditional marula beer, top SA artists, parades and stalls, drawing around 30,000 visitors.
- Malopeni 4x4 TrailSANParks-run guided 4x4 eco-trail in the Kruger accessed via Phalaborwa.
- Olifants River boat safariTwo-to-three-hour boat safaris on the Olifants River to see hippos, crocodiles, elephants and birdlife, including a sunset cruise. kambaku2boatsafarislodge.mypixieset.com
- Qualito Craft Distillery tastingTour and tasting at a local distillery making gin, whisky and vodka infusions, paired with food. qualito.co.za
Things to see
- Foskor Mine MuseumSmall museum on the area's copper, iron and phosphate mining and ancient smelting history.
- Kruger National Park (Phalaborwa Gate)Enter the Kruger straight from town. sanparks.org
- Masorini Village MuseumReconstructed Iron Age Ba-Phalaborwa hilltop village with huts, grain stores and iron-smelting furnaces, about 11 km inside Kruger from the Phalaborwa Gate on the Letaba road.
- Phalaborwa Copper Mine ViewpointLookout over the Palabora open-pit copper mine, about 1.8 km wide and 450 m deep and billed as Africa's widest man-made hole; reached via Koper Street.
Businesses in Phalaborwa
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Accommodation (73)Automotive (17)Business Services (16)Community & Government (15)Education (8)Food & Drink (14)Health & Wellness (16)Home & Building (9)IT & Electronics (5)Shopping (26)Tourism & Leisure (6)Transport & Logistics (2)
Bradlows Phalaborwa
Bradlows furniture and appliance store.
Shopping
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Cashbuild Phalaborwa
Cashbuild building materials and hardware store.
Hardware & Building Supplies
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Checkers Phalaborwa
Checkers supermarket in the Checkers Centre.
Supermarkets & Groceries
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Eden Square Mall
Shopping centre in central Phalaborwa housing fashion, furniture and food outlets.
Shopping Centres
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Foschini Phalaborwa
Foschini fashion store.
Clothing & Fashion
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Furnmart Phalaborwa
Furnmart furniture store.
Shopping
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Heqlen Mica
Hardware supplier on Sealene Road.
Hardware & Building Supplies
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
KWIKSPAR Zorba
KwikSpar convenience supermarket with TOPS liquor store.
Supermarkets & Groceries
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Liquor City Phalaborwa
Liquor store.
Supermarkets & Groceries
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Markham
Menswear store in Eden Square Mall.
Clothing & Fashion
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Milady's
Women's fashion store in the Checkers Centre.
Clothing & Fashion
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
OK Furniture Phalaborwa
OK Furniture store.
Shopping
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
PEP Ba-Phalaborwa Checkers
PEP value clothing store at the Checkers Centre.
Clothing & Fashion
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
PEP Home Ba-Phalaborwa Eden Square
PEP Home homeware and furniture store at Eden Square.
Shopping
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
PEP Phalaborwa Mall
PEP value clothing and household store in the Phalaborwa Mall.
Clothing & Fashion
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Phalaborwa Checkers Centre
Shopping centre anchored by Checkers, with Wimpy, Capitec, PEP and other stores.
Shopping Centres
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Phalaborwa Mall
Shopping mall on Nelson Mandela Drive with a Spur, PEP and cellphone stores.
Shopping Centres
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Pick n Pay Family Phalaborwa
Pick n Pay family franchise supermarket on Palm Street.
Supermarkets & Groceries
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Shoprite Centre Phalaborwa
Shopping centre anchored by Shoprite, with KFC and smaller shops.
Shopping Centres
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Shoprite Phalaborwa
Shoprite supermarket in the Shoprite Centre.
Supermarkets & Groceries
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
SPAR Kruger Park
SPAR supermarket on Koper Road with an adjoining TOPS liquor store.
Supermarkets & Groceries
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
SuziQ
Clothing boutique in the Potgieter Street lifestyle centre.
Clothing & Fashion
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
The Bed Shop Phalaborwa
Bed and mattress store in Eden Square Mall.
Shopping
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
TOPS at SPAR Kruger Park
Liquor store at SPAR Kruger Park.
Supermarkets & Groceries
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Property in Phalaborwa
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