Magaliesburg is a small town situated below the

Witwatersrand The Witwatersrand () (locally the Rand or, less commonly, the Reef) is a , north-facing scarp in South Africa. It consists of a hard, erosion-resistant quartzite metamorphic rock, over which several north-flowing rivers form waterfalls, which ...

mountain range in

Gauteng Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

. The

Magaliesberg The Magaliesberg (historically also known as ''Macalisberg'' or ''Cashan Mountains'') of northern South Africa, is a modest but well-defined mountain range composed mainly of quartzites. It rises at a point south of the Pilanesberg (and the Pi ...

mountain range is north and visible from town, hence the name "Magaliesburg". The mountains themselves are named after Kgosi Môgale Wa Môgale, a MoTswana chief of the BaPô ba Mogale clan. Burg is the Afrikaans name for Town and

berg Berg may refer to: People *Berg (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Berg Ng (born 1960), Hong Kong actor * Berg (footballer) (born 1989), Brazilian footballer Former states * Berg (state), county and duchy of the Hol ...

means mountain.

Tourism

The town and surrounds are popular holiday and weekend destinations for the residents of

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

. With more than 100 accommodation venues and a great variety of activities, the small village at the foot of the Magalies Mountain is the ideal escape for city dwellers. Magaliesburg is the home of the oldest mine in Gauteng. At The Blaauwbank mine, gold was discovered there more than 100 years ago. Besides tourism, the main income generating activity of Magaliesburg and the surrounding area is agriculture. Beef, maize, and large scale vegetable farming are most prevalent. The village has become a very attractive option for city dwellers who wish to live closer to nature. Homesteading is popular with many individuals and families going out of their way to be as self-sufficient as they are able. As this is a very difficult goal for most, there are many Magaliesburgers who live in the area but commute to Johannesburg or Pretoria for income generating employment.

References

External links

Tourist attractions in South Africa Populated places in the Mogale City Local Municipality {{Gauteng-geo-stub