Matjhabeng Local Municipality is situated in the Lejweleputswa District Municipality in the Free State Province of South Africa. The name is a Sesotho word meaning “where nations meet”. It is derived from the migrant labour system where people from various countries like Lesotho, Mozambique, etc. meet to work in the mines of the Goldfields.
Matjhabeng Municipality incorporates the city of Welkom and the towns of Allanridge, Odendaalsrus, Hennenman, Virginia and Ventersburg with a combined population of more than 500 000 people.
The economy of the Matjhabeng Municipality is centered around mining activities. Manufacturing aimed at the mining sector exists to a limited extent. Other manufacturing activities are limited.
Bulk water infrastructure consists mostly of reservoirs and pipelines of Sedibeng Water. These supply all of the Matjhabeng towns and the mines with water from the Vaal River near Bothaville and to a lesser extent from the Sand River. The bulk electrical network is well established in the Matjhabeng area. Eskom serves all mines and towns in the municipal area.
Access to markets
The municipality is ideally situated geographically for national and multinational organisations, providing access to key strategic routes and international ports and harbours, which gives reasonable access for both imports and exports of goods and services.
The national route (N1) traverse through the town of Ventersburg and provides a link to other regional routes such as the R70, N3, N5, N6 and N8.
Invest in Matjhabeng Municipality
This investment guide provides a snapshot of the municipality’s development agenda and a variety of opportunities within various industries:
Contact
The Matjhabeng Local Municipality is open for business! Interested parties are encouraged to send a brief message of introduction to the team. Please tell us more about your business or investment objectives:
Municipal investment profiling: A digital approach
In 2023, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA introduced the “Investment Profile Template Guide for Municipalities in South Africa” to help municipalities present their investment potential. Research showed only 15% of South African municipalities had investment profiles at the time.
However, limited financial and human resources have hindered digital promotion and investment attraction. SALGA has launched a programme to assist municipalities with digital initiatives, and the following municipalities are included in the first phase:
- City of Ekurhuleni (Gauteng)
- West Coast District Municipality (Western Cape)
- Mnquma Local Municipality (Eastern Cape)
- Matjhabeng Local Municipality (Free State)
The main objective of this project is to provide municipalities with a platform to market themselves as investment destinations to both domestic and foreign investors using an already existing platform and access to the Global Africa Network audience.
