Formerly the Capital of the independant ‘Bantustan’ Bophuthatswana, and for a very short few months after 1994, the Capital of the North West Province, Mmabatho, which means ‘Mother of the People’ in Setswana, is now officially part of the Capital Mafikeng, and the two very closely situated ‘towns’ are often considered one place.
Mmabtho features a number of government buildings and the University of the North West, and Mafikeng International Airport is situated in Mmabatho.
Attractions in and around Mmabatho include the Mmabatho Palms Hotel and Casino Complex, the Mafikeng Game Reserve, the Botsalano Game Reserve, the Molemane Eye Nature Reserve , the famous Wondergat fresh water dive site, and the Leopard Creek Golf Course. Also look out for plenty of arts and crafts!
Getting there: Mmabatho’s directions are the same as those fro Mafikeng: from Johannesburg take the R41 east, taking a left exit on to the N14 after around 40km. Travel fro 122km along the N14, exiting on to the R503 at Coligny toward Lichtenburg. Continue through Lichtenburg, exiting again on the R503. Mafikeng is a further 63 km north-west.
