Magaliesburg

Magaliesburg is a small town situated below the Witwatersrand mountain range in Gauteng, South Africa. The Magaliesberg mountain range is north and visible from town, hence the name "Magaliesburg". The mountains themselves are named after Môgale Wa Môgale who was the chief of the BaPô ba Môgale. Burg is the Afrikaans name for Town whereas Berg is for mountain.

Magaliesburg
The R24 forms the main road through Magaliesburg
Magaliesburg
Magaliesburg
Coordinates: 26°00′31″S 27°32′46″E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceGauteng
DistrictWest Rand
MunicipalityMogale City
Area
 • Total11.44 km2 (4.42 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total6,363
 • Density560/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African91.8%
 • Coloured0.8%
 • Indian/Asian0.3%
 • White6.6%
 • Other0.6%
First languages (2011)
 • Tswana59.3%
 • Zulu9.1%
 • English7.8%
 • Afrikaans4.8%
 • Other18.9%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
1791
PO box
1739
Area code014
Amethyst cluster from Magaliesburg

Tourism

The town and surrounds are popular holiday and weekend destinations for the residents of Johannesburg. With more than 100 accommodation venues and a great variety of activities, this small village at the foot of the Magalies Mountain is the ideal escape for city dwellers.

Magaliesburg is the home of the oldest mine in Gauteng. At The Blaauwbank mine, gold was discovered there more than 100 years ago. Besides tourism, the main income generating activity of Magaliesburg and the surrounding area is agriculture. Beef, maize, and large scale vegetable farming are most prevalent.

The village has become a very attractive option for city dwellers who wish to live closer to nature. Homesteading is popular with many individuals and families going out of their way to be as self-sufficient as they are able. As this is a very difficult goal for most, there are many Magaliesburgers who live in the area but commute to Johannesburg or Pretoria for income generating employment.

References
  1. "Main Place Magaliesburg". Census 2011.

Media related to Magaliesburg at Wikimedia Commons

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