Polokwane, formerly called Pietersburg, is the capital of the province of Limpopo in South Africa. It lies about 155 miles (250 kilometers) northeast of Pretoria, on the main road connecting Johannesburg with Zimbabwe.
Polokwane is an important industrial, administrative, commercial, and agricultural center. Industries include processing of meat and dairy products and processing of asbestos and other minerals. The surrounding area has some of the most prosperous cattle ranches in South Africa. Other agricultural produce include alfalfa, coffee, corn, flowers, fruits, peanuts, potatoes, and sorghum.
The city was founded by voortrekkers (pioneers) in 1886 and named in honor of General Piet Joubert, an Afrikaner soldier and statesman. For a time during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, Pietersburg was the capital of both Transvaal and the Orange Free State.
In the mid-1990’s, after the end of South Africa’s racial segregation system called apartheid, Pietersburg was merged with the Black African township of Seshego and other nearby communities. In 2000, Pietersburg, including Seshego, was merged with nearby communities and rural areas to form the Polokwane local municipality. The municipality has a population of 843,459. In 2002, the city of Pietersburg was itself renamed Polokwane.
