Bela-Bela Local Municipality

A TOURIST PARADISE

Honourable Mayor Gloria Seleka has said, “Here at the Local Municipality, we believe that no traveller worth his or her salt can claim to have travelled the world, if he or she has not been to this awesome place - a tourist paradise”. The municipality has continued to grow and attract thousands of local and international tourists priding itself on being the holiday of choice of many tourists, exposing them to the warmth and hospitality of its people, as well as nature, the Big Five and other worldclass attractions.

Bela-Bela Local Municipality is situated in the Waterberg District Municipality within the Southern part of the Limpopo Province. The total municipal area (both urban and rural) is approx. 4000km2 and it shares its borders with Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North West Provinces. It is situated on the main highway from Gauteng to the Limpopo Province and Zimbabwe.

The Tourism industry is the main driver of the local economy and by far, the largest contributor to the District’s GDP, and cognizance must be taken of the environmental uniqueness of the region. Previously known as Warmbaths it is famous as a holiday and health resort, owing to the renowned hot minerals which produce 22 000 litres of water hourly at a temperature of 50°C, and 286 sunny days every year! The name Bela-Bela means boiling-boiling.

Since 1830 people have visited Bela-Bela to wallow in the natural mineral baths which contain healing properties. The water from these springs is rich in sodium chloride, calcium carbonate and other salts that are highly valuable to those suffering from rheumatic conditions - and now over a million tourists visit Bela-Bela annually.

Aside from relaxing at the Aventura Resort there are numerous other activities including game viewing, hunting, bird watching, hiking, biking, swimming, golfing, and places to visit of historical significance. The Municipality incorporates wetland areas next to the Bospoort stream and Klein Kariba River, south of the Aventura Resort. It also incorporates numerous game and nature reserves that are popular tourist destinations: Mabula; the award winning and internationally acclaimed Mabalingwe; Bonwa Phala; Kunkuru; and Sondela nature reserves.

Other attractions include:

• Carousel Casino and Entertainment World

• Mokopa Reptile Park

• Thaba Kwena Crocodile Farm

• Bela-Bela Dam • Bela-Bela Waterfront

• 4 x 4 routes

• Zipliners

• Game and hunting farms

• Visit the government building where the township locals used to gather to watch TV when no one in the whole township owned a TV

• Get to see the paraffin pump that provided the whole township with light and cooking energy when there was no electricity in the area

• See the mountain that produced sandstone used to build a portion of the Union Buildings in Pretoria

Bela-Bela is the birthplace of both Honourable Minister Bomo Edith Edna Molewa, SA’s ex- Minister of Environmental Affairs, and Pinky Sharon Kekana, who served as the Deputy Minister of Communications in South Africa and is now SA’s Deputy Minister in the Presidency.

As Honourable Mayor Gloria Seleka has said – Bela-Bela is indeed a tourist’s paradise!