South Africa occupies the southern tip of Africa, its coastline stretching more than 2,850 kilometres from the desert border with Namibia on the Atlantic (western) coast southwards around the tip of Africa and then northeast to the border with Mozambique on the Indian (eastern) coast. The low-lying coastal zone is narrow for much of that distance, soon giving way to a mountainous escarpment that separates the coast from the high inland plateau. In some places, notably the province of KwaZulu-Natal in the east, a greater distance separates the coast from the escarpment. Although much of the country is classified as semi-arid, it has considerable variation in climate as well as topography. The total land area is 1,220,813 km2 (471,359 sq mi). It has the 23rd largest Exclusive Economic Zone of 1,535,538 km2 (592,875 sq mi).
Mpumalanga is a province of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Nguni languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. It shares borders with the South African provinces of Limpopo to the north, Gauteng to the west, the Free State to the southwest, and KwaZulu-Natal to the south. The capital is Mbombela.
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.
The Olifants River,Lepelle, iBhalule or Obalule is a river in South Africa and Mozambique, a tributary of the Limpopo River. It falls into the Drainage Area B of the Drainage basins of South Africa. The historical area of the Pedi people, Sekhukhuneland, is located between the Olifants River and one of its largest tributaries, the Steelpoort River.
The R37 is a provincial route in South Africa that connects Polokwane with Mbombela via Burgersfort and Lydenburg (Mashishing).
Concor Holdings (Proprietary) Limited. is a South African construction and mining services company. It is active throughout Southern Africa, involved in civil engineering, buildings, roads and mining projects. Concor returned as an independent brand in late 2016.
Mutorashanga is a small ferrochrome mining town in Mashonaland West province in Zimbabwe. Situated on Zimbabwe's Great Dyke mountain range, about 100 kilometers north of the capital, Harare. The mines at Mutorashanga are largely owned by Zimasco, a chrome mining company owned in turn by Sinosteel Corporation, although some are operated by contractors. The area is well known for its abundant aloes, now threatened by mining, and other endemic flora. Aloe Ortholopha is endemic to the section of the Great Dyke mountain range in the Mutorashanga area.
JCI or Johannesburg Consolidated Investment Co. Ltd. was founded in 1889 by the British entrepreneur Barney Barnato. JCI was a major force in South African mining for over 100 years. Using his investments in the Kimberley diamond fields, particularly his 25% share in De Beers, Barnato foresaw the value of and invested in the potential of the Witwatersrand gold mines. At first he bought small but rich mines near Germiston – the New Primrose, named after his daughter, and others in the same region.
The Shashe River is a major left-bank tributary of the Limpopo River in Zimbabwe. It rises northwest of Francistown, Botswana and flows into the Limpopo River where Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa meet. The confluence is at the site of the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area.
Steenkampsberg is a South African mountain in the Dullstroom - Belfast district of Mpumalanga Province. The mountain ranges between 1,700 and 2,274 metres in altitude, and is covered largely by high-altitude grassland, broken in places by rocky outcrops. The northern slope of the mountain is drained by the Groot-Dwarsrivier, which enters a deep linear valley, to eventually join the Steelpoort River. The mountain is traversed from west to east by the De Berg Pass.
Burgersfort is located in the valley of the Spekboom River at the edge of the Bushveld Complex in the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality of the Limpopo province, near the border with the Mpumalanga province. The town was named after a hexagonal fort built there during the 1876-77 Second War against the Bapedi of Chief Sekhukhune, and was named after President TF Burgers of the ZAR. The town serves as a meeting point for two major roads, the R37 and R555. The region is rich in platinum and platinum group metals. The town's neighbouring towns are Mashishing (60 km), Steelpoort (16 km) and Ohrigstad (26 km).
The Motlatse River, Blyde River, or Umdhlazi River is a river in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces of South Africa. It has a northwards course in steep-sided valleys and ravines of the Mpumalanga Drakensberg, before it enters the lowveld region of the Limpopo province. It has its ultimate origins at around 2,000 m altitude in the Hartebeesvlakte conservation area, to the north of Long Tom Pass. It runs through the Blyde River Canyon.
African Rainbow Minerals Limited is a mining company based in South Africa. ARM has interests in a wide range of mines, including platinum and platinum group metals (PGMs), iron, coal, copper, and gold. ARM's Goedgevonden coalmine near Witbank is a flagship of their joint venture with Xstrata, and produces 6.7 million tons of coal per year. Production is expanding at the Two Rivers platinum mine in Mpumalanga. ARM owns 20% of Harmony Gold, the 12th largest gold mining company in the world with three mining operations in South Africa. Patrice Motsepe is the executive chairman; Phillip Tobias is CEO.
Sekhukhuneland or Sekukuniland is a natural region in north-east South Africa, located in the historical Transvaal zone, former Transvaal Province, also known as Bopedi. The region is named after the 19th-century King, Sekhukhune I.
The Steelpoort River, iNdubazi or Tubatse is a river in Limpopo Province, South Africa. It flows northeastwards and is a right hand tributary of the Olifants River, joining it at the lower end of its basin. Its source is located at Kwaggaskop, a farm between Dullstroom, Stoffberg and Belfast.
The Two Rivers mine is a large bord and pillar mine located in the north-eastern part of South Africa in Steelpoort, Limpopo. Two Rivers represents one of the largest platinum reserves in South Africa having estimated reserves of 100 million tonnes of ore grading 1.8 gr/t platinum, 1.07 gr/t palladium and minor grades of gold, rhodium, ruthenium and iridium. The mine has reserves of 5.76 million oz of platinum and 3.2 million oz of palladium and produces around 150,000 oz of platinum/year and 90,000 oz of palladium/year.
The Dwarsrivier mine is a large mine in the north-east of South Africa near Dwarsrivier in Limpopo. Dwarsrivier represents one of the largest chromium reserve in South Africa having estimated reserves of 55 million tonnes of ore grading 38.12% chromium. The 55 million tonnes of ore contains 21 million tonnes of chromium metal.
The Marula Mine is a platinum mine located in the Limpopo province of South Africa. It is in the eastern limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex, approximately 35km north-west of Burgersfort. The operation comprises two decline shaft systems which are used to access the UG2 reef.
Northam Holdings is an independent integrated PGM producer listed on the JSE. The primary operations are centered on their three wholly owned mines, Zondereinde, Booysendal and Eland, and the additional metallurgical operations at Zondereinde including a smelter and base metals removal plant. Northam’s three main products mined are platinum, palladium and rhodium and are consumed by industries such as the motor manufacturing, jewellery and other industrial sectors.
The Mogalakwena Solar Power Station is a planned 100 MW (130,000 hp) solar power plant in South Africa. The solar farm is under development by a consortium comprising Pele Green Energy, a South African independent power producer (IPP) and EDF Renewables, a subsidiary of the French energy multinational Électricité de France (EDF). The energy generated here will be used to supply the Mogalakwena platinum mine of Anglo American Platinum, in Limpopo Province.
