Acornhoek

Last updated

Acornhoek
South Africa Mpumalanga location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Acornhoek
South Africa adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Acornhoek
Coordinates: 24°35′35″S31°05′49″E / 24.593°S 31.097°E / -24.593; 31.097
Country South Africa
Province Mpumalanga
District Ehlanzeni
Municipality Bushbuckridge
Area
[1]
  Total38.89 km2 (15.02 sq mi)
Population
 (2011) [1]
  Total33,529
  Density860/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
   Black African 99.7%
   Coloured 0.1%
   Indian/Asian 0.1%
   White 0.1%
  Other0.1%
First languages (2011)
[1]
   Tsonga 33.8%
   Northern Sotho 56.9%
   Sotho 6.1%
  Other3.2%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
PO box
1360
Area code 013

Acornhoek, commonly known as Khenhuk, is a semi-rural town situated in the north eastern areas of Bushbuckridge in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa.

Contents

Established in the late 1950s, the town is located about 38 km south-east of Hoedspruit in Limpopo and 165 km north-west of Komatipoort near the border post of Mozambique and eSwatini. The name Acornhoek is variously explained as being an adaptation of Eekhoornhoek ('squirrel corner'); derived from the German surname Eichhorn, and named after the acorn-like fruits of the marula tree. [2]

The main languages spoken in Acornhoek are Sepulana and Xitsonga. Most of Vatsonga people occupy the eastern side of this semi-rural township while the Mapulana people are settled on the western and southern areas.

Commercial activity

There are three main commercial areas in this rural township namely; Acornhoek CBD, Acornhoek Plaza and Acornhoek mall.

At these areas residents are able to access banks, grocery shops, clothing outlets, take-away franchises and many others.

The town has one public hospital, Tintswalo Hospital. Tintswalo Hospital was built in the 1930s and it is one of the largest medical facility in Bushbuckridge sub-region. Several residents from as far as Phalaborwa in the Limpopo province also visits the hospital.

There is one police station in the township and a Magistrate's Court. Ehlanzeni FET College is one of the most popular areas in the township which attracts a lot of students from various areas across the country.

Acornhoek is also home to the regional offices of Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, and also a small traffic police department.

Public transport is by mini-bus or taxi and bus. The nearest airport is Eastgate Airport which is about 25km away from the township.

Airport transfers and sightseeing tours are offered from the Eastgate Airport. There are several fuel filling stations in the township.

Sporting

Football is currently the main sport dominating communities of Acornhoek with no other sport being developed in the area. Teams like Happy Dam, Juventus, Zilla Spurs, White Hill, Score Rangers, Dynamos, All Blacks, Mhandzi, Burkina Faso amongst others, still exist and compete in different regional competitions. Several trials have been made to establish other sporting codes but have failed due to lack of continued support. In the late 2000s, Vincent Mathebula introduced cricket to young prospects but insufficient resources forced them to abandon the initiative.

Acornhoek News

Acornhoek News is an online news publication focusing on events that happen on the area and other issues of interest. The publication first went live during community unrests in 2018 as updates were posted on their Facebook page which subsequently became their primary publishing platform. The publication was welcomed by readers and became a source of local news for many. Their successful run sparked interest of print media hence causing tension with other subjects. The publication page was later purchased by Brand Acornhoek.

Brand Acornhoek

Seeing the need to provide development support, a group of individuals hailing from Acornhoek gathered and resolved to establish Brand Acornhoek, a marketing and development platform that also serves as a lobby organisation.

The initiative also runs Corporate Social Investments gigs for local businesses using the Miss Acornhoek Foundation ambassadors as project faces. The organisation is yet to crown the official Miss Acornhoek after many delays and controversial crowning of the 2017 winner.

The 2017 competition was cancelled due to the results being rigged and organisers are yet to host the official edition.

Amenities

Accommodation is available in B&B's, Lodges, Guest Houses, and nearby private game reserves including the Timbavati Game Reserve. For nature and wildlife attractions, one can access the Kruger National Park through the Orpen gate entrance that is 39 km away, Manyeleti Game Reserve which is 49 km away, or Blyde River Canyon which is 50 km away.

Related Research Articles

Polokwane, also known as Pietersburg, is a city and the capital of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. It is South Africa's largest urban centre north of Gauteng. It was one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limpopo</span> Northernmost province of South Africa

Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is situated in Lebowakgomo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upwey, Victoria</span> Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Upwey is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 33 kilometres (21 mi) east from Melbourne's central business district, located within the City of Knox and the Shire of Yarra Ranges local government areas. Upwey recorded a population of 6,818 at the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nkhotakota</span> Place in Central Region, Malawi

Nkhotakota (Un-kho-tah-kho-tuh) is a town and one of the districts in the Central Region of Malawi. It is on the shore of Lake Malawi and is one of the main ports on Lake Malawi. As of 2018, Nkhotakota had a population estimated at 28,350. The district had a population of 301.000.

Air Force Base Hoedspruit is an airbase of the South African Air Force. It is located adjacent to the Kruger National Park. In the late 1990s an unused portion of the base was converted into a civilian airport known as Eastgate Airport. It was also an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle.

Lephalale, formerly known as Ellisras, is a coal mining town in the Limpopo province of South Africa immediately east of the Waterberg Coalfield. The town was established as Ellisras in 1960 and named after Patrick Ellis and Piet Erasmus who settled on a farm there in the 1930s. In 2002, Ellisras was renamed Lephalale by the provincial government of Limpopo, after the main river that crosses the municipality. Lephalale is derived from the setswana language meaning "to flow".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoedspruit</span> Place in Limpopo, South Africa

Hoedspruit is a town situated at the foot of the Klein Drakensberg, in the Limpopo province of South Africa, on the railway line from Tzaneen to Kaapmuiden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phalaborwa</span> Place in Limpopo, South Africa

Phalaborwa is a town in the Mopani District Municipality, Limpopo province, South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R40 (South Africa)</span>

The R40 is a provincial route in South Africa that connects the Eswatini border at Bulembu via Barberton, Mbombela, Bushbuckridge, Acornhoek and Hoedspruit with Phalaborwa. The route spans two provinces and passes through several private game reserves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gazankulu</span> Apartheid-era Tsonga bantustan in South Africa (c. 1973–1994)

Gazankulu was a bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government to be a semi-independent homeland for the Tsonga people. It was located in both the Northern Transvaal, now Limpopo province and Eastern Transvaal, now Mpumalanga province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giyani</span> Town in Limpopo, South Africa

Giyani is a town situated in the north-eastern part of Limpopo Province, South Africa. It is the administrative capital of the Mopani District Municipality and a former capital of the defunct Gazankulu Bantustan. The town of Giyani has seven sections: Section A, Section D1, Section D2, Section E, Section F, Kremetart, and Giyani CBD. Risinga View and Church View are new residential areas in Giyani,but they fall under the local traditional leaders. The Giyani CBD is nicknamed Benstore, and this name is commonly used by residents of the region. Giyani is surrounded by a number of villages with rich Tsonga cultural activities, administered by the Greater Giyani Local Municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kozhencherry</span> Census Town in Kerala, India

Kozhencherry is a census town in Pathanamthitta district of Central Travancore region in Kerala state, India. As of 2011 census, the population was 12,021 of which 5,594 are males while 6,427 are females.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damanjodi</span> Industrial Town in Odisha, India

Damanjodi is a town located in the Koraput district of Odisha, India. As of 2001 census, its population was 8,469. The town was founded as a residential area for employees of the National Aluminium Company (NALCO), a company that was established to harness the bauxite-rich deposits of the Panchpatmali Range. Damanjodi contains the NALCO Township, a residential area for NALCO employees, Mathalput, a semi-urban neighborhood with shops, and Bhejaput, a shopping complex. The population is considered cosmopolitan in nature with employees from all over India and locals from the tribal region.

Dibiyapur is a municipality-based city in Auraiya district in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is situated on State Highway 21. It is linked to Phaphund railway station on Kanpur–Delhi section of Howrah–Delhi main line and Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line which is operated by North Central Railway. The district administrative headquarter of the city is Auraiya. The city is situated between Agra and Kanpur. Lower Ganga Canal passes through mid of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sargur</span> Town in Karnataka, India

Sargur, is a small town located about 80 km from the town of Chamarajanagar And a Taluk of Mysore district of Karnataka, India. H D Kote (Heggadadevanakote) is about 12 km north of Sargur. It is 55 km from the city of Mysore. Bangalore International Airport is 200 km away. To be more elaborate, Sargur is 33.8 km from Nanjangud town (Karnataka), 35.1 km from Gundlupet town (Karnataka), 137.8 km from Udagamandalam town (Ooty) Valley and 38.8 km from Hunsur town (Karnataka).

Mahwelereng is a township in the Mogalakwena Local Municipality of the Waterberg District Municipality of the Limpopo Province of South Africa, It is about 2 km from Mokopane. The township is a product of Apartheid South Africa's policies in the former Bantustan of Lebowa. Most of the original residents of Mahwelereng were from an area which old residents call "Ol' Location". Ol' Location was too close to town and the residents had to be moved further away from town. There are still remnants of Ol' Location such as the "Bar" and the Lutheran Church Mission on the Sekgakgapeng site. The township is bordered by Sekgakgapeng, Mountainview, Moshate, Phola Park, and Ga-Madiba.

Malamulele can refer to the town of Malamulele or the area of Malamulele. Both the town and area are in the Limpopo province of South Africa and predominantly occupied by Tsonga people. Malamulele town has one provincial road and one regional road; the R81 to Giyani and the R524 to Thohoyandou respectively. Malamulele is flanked by two rivers, Levubu River (Rivhubye) to the west and Letaba River to the east, meanwhile the Shingwedzi River runs from Malamulele West to Malamulele East, joining the Olifants in Mozambique on its way to the Indian Ocean. Malamulele is the seat of the Collins Chabane Local Municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bushbuckridge Local Municipality</span> Local municipality in Mpumalanga, South Africa

Bushbuckridge Municipality is a local municipality within the Ehlanzeni District Municipality, in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Commercial farming, which consists of pine and bluegum plantations, tobacco, cotton, sub-tropical fruits and vegetables is practised in the municipality's countryside. The municipality includes the southern part of the Kruger National Park. Bushbuckridge is the largest local municipality in Mpumalanga in terms of land size.

Mankweng, also called Turfloop, is a township in Capricorn District Municipality in the Limpopo province of South Africa, and home to the University of Limpopo. It is a university township. Mankweng or Turfloop is also the de facto name for the neighbourhoods surrounding the township and the university, though relatively small to the likes of Grahamstown. It is located about 27 km east of Polokwane on the R71 road to Moria and Tzaneen.

Alexandria is a town in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality under Ehlanzeni District Municipality in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. It got its theme of footprints on rock in the mountains of Simeleni.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Main Place Acornhoek". Census 2011.
  2. Raper, Peter E. (1987). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Internet Archive. p. 51. Retrieved 17 June 2020.