Lephalale at a glance
You'd be forgiven for not knowing where Lephalale is. Until recently, this unassuming town has stayed under the radar.
In 2002, the name was changed from Ellisras to Lephalale. The latter name is taken from the Phalala River, which is derived from the Tswana verb “to flow” or “one which overflows”.
The town is located west of Polokwane, and north of Rustenberg. It is not far from the South African border with Botswana however, it is far from the large cities.
What makes Lephalale special is the growth that is expected to unfold over the next 25 years. It is believed by locals that the town is the future of power generation in South Africa, and if latest developments are anything to go by, they are not wrong.
Economy
Lephalale is the new Energy Hub of South Africa. A total of 5 new Electrical Power Plants are to be constructed in the region of Lephalale, over a period of 20 to 30 years. Hitachi, Murray & Roberts, Anglo, Sasol and Exxaro are but some of the major role players stationed in Lephalale (Ellisras).
Exxaro's Grootgeluk Coal Mine (the largest mine of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere), the Matimba Power Station (the largest dry-cooled power station in the world), the new Greenfields Power Station and Medupi, are powering the economic growth in Lephalale.
Eskom has commissioned the development of a new power station called Medupi, which will have the capacity to produce 4 800 MW, by the time its last unit is commissioned in January 2015.
Due to the lack of accommodation in this rapidly growing town, property promises to be an excellent investment and has tremendous growth opportunity for potential investors and home buyers.
Climate
Lephalale has mild winter months, with moderate summer evenings, spectacular sunsets, birdsongs, soothing nocturnal sounds and abundant game amidst the natural beauty of the Bushveld.
Municipality
Municipality: Lephalale Local Municipality
District Municipality: Waterberg District Municipality
Lephalale is divided into three main subsections, Lephalale, Onverwacht and Marapong. Ellisras and Onverwacht is only 1 km apart and is approximately 60 kilometres from the Botswana border
Events
There is an annual Agricultural and Tourism Show - in May.
The Bushveld Festival is held annually in July. A highlight of the latter is the Bushveld Golf Tournament.
Interesting bits of info
Lephalale contains a cemetery with the graves of some of the earliest white settlers to the area.
San Rock Art can be seen in some of the caves in the area.
Distances between Ellisras / Onverwacht and the following centres are as follows:
Pretoria: 280km
Polokwane (Pietersburg): 212km
Thabazimbi: 120km
Modimolle (Nylstroom): 280km
Pretoria: 150km
Mokopane (Potgietersrus): 180km
Stockpoort border post: 70km
Ellisras also features a tarred runway with daily scheduled flights, a railway line to Thabazimbi and a daily bus service to Pretoria.
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