Information on Rustenburg, North West, South Africa

Conference Venues South Africa brings you information on Rustenburg situated in the North West Province of South Africa including information on Facilities and Recreation, Climate, Founding, History Suburbs, Town Planning and Geography.

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Rustenburg History

Rustenburg is prominent in Afrikaner history. The town was established in 1851 as an administrative centre for a fertile farming area producing citrus fruit, tobacco, peanuts, sunflower seeds, maize, wheat and cattle. On 10 February 1859, the local Dutch Reformed Church community was established. One of the oldest Boer settlements in the north, Rustenburg was the home of Paul Kruger, president of the South African Republic, who bought a 5 square kilometer farm to the northwest of the town in 1863. The homestead on his farm, Boekenhoutfontein, is now the Paul Kruger Country Museum. When the Boer and the British came to blows in the Second Boer War, the territory around Rustenburg became a battleground. The two sides clashed famously at nearby Rustenburg, where the British garrison found itself under siege for months. These battle sites can be explored from Rustenburg.

Among the first residents of Rustenburg were settlers of Indian origin. One of the first families of Indian origin was the Bhyat family, whose contribution to the city's history was marked by the renaming of a major street name to Fatima Bhayat Street in honour of Fatima Bhyat who arrived in Rustenburg with her husband in 1877. Rustenburg's population is primarily Batswana. Many belong to the Royal Bafokeng Nation, extensive landowners earning royalties from mining operations. The Royal Bafokeng also own the stadium selected as a World Cup 2010 venue.

Rustenburg Game Parks

By far the best known attractions in this area are the major nature reserves that are all within striking distance of Rustenburg itself.

• Kgaswane Game Reserve is situated above the town of Rustenburg across a varied habitat of quartzite mountain peaks, it is open to hikers as well as vehicle visitors. It is a 4 257 ha reserve that offers a great range of viewing experiences to wildlife enthusiasts.

• Madikwe Game Reserve and Groot Marico Park are huge reserves north of the Pilanesberg, almost half the size of Belgium. They are conservation and transition zone between the Kalahari sandveld and the thornveld. Madikwe hosts all the major plains species, including the Big Five and has the second largest concentration of elephants in South Africa. The reserve is one of South Africa's great natural treasures.

• Pilanesberg Game Reserve is one of the most accessible South African game reserves. It is located a 1.5 hour drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria and right outside Rustenburg. It is the fourth largest National Park in South Africa and is set high in the Pilanesberg range, traversing the floor of an ancient, long-extinct volcano. Pilanesberg conserves all the major mammal species including lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo.

Rustenburg Holiday Resorts

Sun City and Lost City, located beyond the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, are resorts where visitors can lose themselves in the luxury of an imagined world, with all the modern entertainments one can ask for. The complex is set on the slopes of a picturesque valley in the Pilanesberg Mountains and captures the essence of an ancient African kingdom. Casinos, the Valley of the Waves and two world-renowned championship golf courses are just some of the many attractions.

Towns and Suburbs of the North West province of South Africa

Beestekraal , Brits , Broederstroom , Christiana , Groot Marico , Hartbeespoort , Koster , Klerksdorp , Lichtenburg , Madikwe , Mahikeng , Mooinooi , Pilansberg , Potchefstroom, Rustenburg , Sun City , Swartruggens , Temba , Wolmeransstad