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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Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality
Local municipality seated in Phalaborwa (Mopani District).
Municipalities
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Cathedral Federal Church
Church congregation in Phalaborwa.
Places of Worship
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Damascus Road Ministries
Church congregation in Phalaborwa.
Places of Worship
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Department of Labour Phalaborwa
Labour centre (Department of Employment and Labour).
Municipalities
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Evangelies Gereformeerde Kerk
Church congregation in Phalaborwa.
Places of Worship
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Gereformeerde Kerk Phalaborwa
Church congregation in Phalaborwa.
Places of Worship
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Home Affairs Phalaborwa
Department of Home Affairs office.
Municipalities
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
New Life Baptist Church
Church congregation in Phalaborwa.
Places of Worship
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
NG Kerk Phalaborwa
Dutch Reformed congregation.
Places of Worship
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
NH Kerk Phalaborwa
Church congregation in Phalaborwa.
Places of Worship
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Nuwe Apostoliese Kerk Phalaborwa
Church congregation in Phalaborwa.
Places of Worship
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Phalaborwa Magistrate's Court
Magistrate's court.
Police & Emergency
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Phalaborwa Methodist Church
Church congregation in Phalaborwa.
Places of Worship
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Phalaborwa SAPS
South African Police Service station for Phalaborwa.
Police & Emergency
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Volle Evangelie Kerk van God
Church congregation in Phalaborwa.
Places of Worship
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
Property in Phalaborwa
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