Delmas, Mpumalanga

Delmas is a small maize farming town situated east of Johannesburg in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The town is located some 19 km north-east of Springs and 73 km south-east of Pretoria.

Delmas
Delmas
Delmas
Coordinates: 26°09′S 28°41′E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceMpumalanga
DistrictNkangala
MunicipalityVictor Khanye
Area
 • Total8.74 km2 (3.37 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total7,399
 • Density850/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African40.2%
 • Coloured1.6%
 • Indian/Asian1.0%
 • White56.0%
 • Other1.2%
First languages (2011)
 • Afrikaans56.9%
 • Zulu16.2%
 • S. Ndebele8.5%
 • English7.2%
 • Other11.2%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
2210
PO box
2210
Area code013

History

The town was laid out in 1907 on the farm Witklip (Afrikaans for White Stone) and has been administered by a town council since 1965. The name is derived from the French de la mas ('small farm') and was given by the Frenchman Frank Campbell Dumat, former owner of Witklip, after his grandfather's farm in France.[2]:134 He originally laid out the town with 192 residential stands, 48 4 ha small holdings and 138 ha of commonage but by 1909 the governments added a further 5,500 ha to the town.[3]:303 This would be divided into 85 small holdings of around 64 ha.[3]:303

Geography

Communities

Bothibelong is a township 3 km north of Delmas. The name is derived from Sotho and means 'protection'. [2]:90 A newer location is named Botleng, which means 'place of beauty' in Sotho.

Economy

Agriculture

The farms in the region produce maize, wheat, potatoes and chickens. AFGRI runs a chicken abattoir in the town.[3]:303

Sports

The Delmas Golf Club is a nine-hole golf course that opened in 1960.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Delmas is an important railway junction on the Springs to Witbank rail-line, a line that connects to the Port of Richards Bay.

Roads

The town is connected by two main roads, the R555 and the R50. The R50 north connects the town to the N12 freeway junction which links Johannesburg to Witbank while the road continues north to Pretoria. The R50 south connects the town to Standerton.

References
  1. "Main Place Delmas". Census 2011.
  2. Raper, Peter E. (1987). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Human Science Research Council. p. 134.
  3. Erasmus, B.P.J. (2014). On Route in South Africa: Explore South Africa region by region. Jonathan Ball Publishers. p. 401. ISBN 9781920289805.
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