Polokwane

Introduction

Polokwane might be better known be people under its former name: Pietersburg. In February of 2005 the name was changed to Polokwane, meaning 'place of safety' in the Northern Sotho language. The city is the capital of the Limpopo province, the most Northern province of South Africa. The city has over 500,000 inhabitants, and is one of the fastest growing cities in the southern hemisphere. It will be one of the host cities of the World Cup Football in 2010. Games will be played at the new Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Sights and Activities

Polokwane is a good starting point for many kinds of Ecotourism. It is en route to the northern part of the Kruger National Park, and the Tzaneen and Magoebaskloof areas. Close to the city you will find the Pieters Game Reserve

Museums and monuments

• Bakone Malapa Open-Air Museum - is the way to get in touch with the history and modern life of the Northern Sotho tribe.
• Hugh Exton Photographic Museum - has a collection of 23,000 photos taken by resident photographer Hugh Exton between 1890 and 1945.
• Irish House Museum - is a cultural history museum with a collection of cultural, scientific and historical items.
• The Eersteling Monuments - are located on the site of the country's first gold crushing site and the first gold power plant.
• Ga-Mothapo Rock Art Site - is a sight outside of the city, where you can view monochrome rock paintings.

Events and Festivals

World Cup 2010

The big upcoming event on the South African horizon is of course the FIFA World Cup beginning on the 11th of June 2010. One of the most prestigious and popular world sporting events, the World Cup 2010 promises to bring throngs of passionate supporters from around the globe. Held once every four years, it's a football tournament (known as soccer in South Africa) where 32 world nations vie for the famous golden trophy.

Polokwane will be hosting some of the World Cup 2010 matches at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, which has a capacity of 46,000.

Weather

Polokwane lies on a plateau 1,230 metres above sea level, and therefor has a moderate climate, with temperatures are 11 °C in winter to around 22 °C in summer.

Getting There

By Plane

Polokwane International Airport (IATA: PTG, ICAO: FAPP) is located 5 kilometres north of the city, and is upgraded with the World Cup in 2010 approaching. There are daily flights to Johannesburg carried out by South African Airways.

Getting Around

By Car

In Polokwane, like most South African cities, public transport is limited. Visitors arriving in Polokwane by plane have the option of hiring a car. Avis, Hertz, Budget and First Car Rental all provide car hire at the Polokwane Airport.

Sleep

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

The SAPO (South African Post Office) is the nation's postal service. Post offices are open from 8:30am to 4:30pm from Monday to Friday, and 8:00am to noon on Saturdays. Domestic and international deliveries are reliable but can sometimes take up to several weeks. If you want to send something oversees of any value, try using one of the private mail services, like Postnet.