Polokwane, Provincial capital in Limpopo, South Africa.
Polokwane is the capital of Limpopo Province in northeastern South Africa, situated at an elevation of 1312 meters (4304 feet). The city connects Johannesburg to the Zimbabwean border through road and air routes.
Voortrekkers founded the settlement in 1886 as Pietersburg to serve surrounding farms. British forces occupied the town in 1901 during the Second Boer War and used it as a base.
The Bakone Malapa Open-Air Museum presents everyday objects and ways of life through reconstructed homesteads and craft demonstrations. Visitors can watch pottery work and see traditional cooking areas, while Sepedi remains spoken throughout the city.
The international airport and N1 highway offer direct connections to Johannesburg in the south and the northern border. Travelers find fuel stations and rest stops along the main routes through the city.
The name means sanctuary or safe place in Northern Sotho and recalls the role as a refuge for communities. This meaning shaped the place name after renaming from Pietersburg in 2005.
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