What does the name Polokwane mean?

What does the name Polokwane mean?

Place of Safety
Polokwane (UK: /ˌpɒləˈkwɑːnɪ/, meaning “Place of Safety” in Northern Sotho), also known by its former name, Pietersburg, is a city and the capital of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. It is South Africa’s largest urban centre north of Gauteng.

Why was Pietersburg changed to Polokwane?

The city of Pietersburg was one of the first places in South Africa to change its name after the fall of ‘Apartheid’ to Polokwane, which in the local language translates to ‘Place of Safety’.

Why was Limpopo named Limpopo?

Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province’s western and northern borders. The province was formed from the northern region of Transvaal Province in 1994, and was initially named Northern Transvaal.

What is Polokwane known for?

Polokwane is the urban centre of the Limpopo province and the most important city north of Gauteng. Polokwane offers an abundance of adventure activities, animal parks, and sporting venues, and is considered to be the best hunting destination in South Africa.

In which province is Limpopo?

Limpopo, formerly (1994–2002) Northern, province, northeastern South Africa. The northernmost South African province, it is bounded by Zimbabwe to the north; Mozambique to the east; the provinces of Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and North West to the south; and Botswana to the west and northwest.

When was Polokwane founded?

1886
It was founded by Voortrekkers (Afrikaans: “Pioneers”) in 1886 on land purchased in 1884 from a local farmer and named Pietersburg in honour of Petrus (Piet) Joubert, a Boer general.

What is the name of the airport in Limpopo?

Polokwane International Airport
Polokwane International Airport

Polokwane International Airport Gateway Airports Authority Limited
IATA: PTG ICAO: FAPP
Summary
Airport type Public
Serves Polokwane (Pietersburg), South Africa

What is the old name for Polokwane?

Pietersburg
Polokwane, formerly (1886–2002) Pietersburg, city, capital of Limpopo province, South Africa.

What was Limpopo called before 1994?

Limpopo (known as Northern in 1994–2002) was created out of part of Transvaal province in 1994. Polokwane is the provincial capital.

Who discovered Limpopo?

The first European to sight the river was Vasco da Gama, who anchored off its mouth in 1498 and named it Espirito Santo River. Its lower course was explored by St Vincent Whitshed Erskine in 1868–69, and Captain J F Elton travelled down its middle course in 1870….Limpopo River.

Limpopo River Vhembe
• average 170 m3/s (6,000 cu ft/s)

What does Limpopo mean in English?

Limpopo /lɪmˈpoʊpoʊ/ is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River that flows across the province; the name “Limpopo” has its etymological origin from the Sepedi word diphororo tša meetse – meaning strong gushing waterfalls.

Who owns Polokwane airport?

Gateway Airports Authority Limited
The airport is located 5 km north of the city….Polokwane International Airport.

Polokwane International Airport Gateway Airports Authority Limited
Serves Polokwane (Pietersburg), South Africa
Elevation AMSL 4,076 ft / 1,242 m
Coordinates 23°50′43″S 29°27′31″E
Map

When did Pietersburg change its name to Polokwane?

In April 1992, Pietersburg town was elevated to a city. In February 2005, the name of Pietersburg city was officially changed and declared by the name to be Polokwane. Even before official declaration of change by the government, the Northern Solo speakers already referred it to as such.

What is the history of Polokwane?

Brief history of Polokwane Polokwane has a long history. Sometime in 1840s, the Voortrekkers led by Andries Potgieter established a town which came to be known as Zoutpansbergdorp. This settlement was later abandoned because of the conflicts of the Voortrekkers and the natives of the region.

What is the name of the airport in Polokwane?

A public airport, Polokwane International Airport, ( IATA: PTG, ICAO: FAPP ), is just north of the city, while the smaller Pietersburg Civil Airport ( IATA: PTG, ICAO: FAPI) is south-east of the city.

What happened to Polokwane during apartheid?

Also, during the apartheid government, certain areas in present day Polokwane were only allocated people from certain racial groups. Some of these areas still have majority of their inhabitants as members of the racial groups that were allocated to them during Apartheid.