Places to Stay in Polokwane
Previously know as Pietersburg, Polokwane (meaning ‘Place of Safety’) is tucked away in the North East corner of the country in Limpopo Province, close to the borders with Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It may not be South Africa’s best known city, and it’s a fairly minor host city in the 2010 World Cup staging only 4 Group games, but it’s got a fair bit going in its favour. Firstly, its combination of its northerly latitude and lofty altitude make for a very pleasant climate – particularly the fact there’s virtually no rainfall in the winter when the games will be played. Plus, if a game reserve in the heart of the city isn’t enough for you, it’s within striking distance of Kruger. And the nearby Drakensberg Mountains and Magoebaskloof offer opportunities for hiking, mountain biking and even abseiling and quad biking.
Stadium
Peter Mokaba Stadium (capacity: 46,000)
World Cup Games in Polokwane
Sunday, 13th June 1.30pm, Game 6 - Group C, Algeria vs. Slovenia
Thursday, 17th June 1.30pm, Game 18 - Group A, France vs. Mexico
Tuesday, 22nd June 8.30pm, Game 36 - Group B, Greece vs. Argentina
Thursday, 24th June 4pm, Game 42, Group F, Paraguay vs. New Zealand.
Weather in Polokwane
In common with the other Highveld cities, Polokwane is likely to be mild by day (high teens centigrade) and a bit nippy at night (around 3°C). Again, Polokwane is dry in the winter months - so dry in fact that the average rainfall is actually 0mm in both June and July. You'll have to discover other topics of conversation because you're not going to be able to talk about the weather.
Things to do in Polokwane
If you're a novice at game driving, the Polokwane Game Reserve is the perfect place to start. With meandering drives, hiking trails, horse riding or even mountain biking, you can easily cover a fair bit of ground whilst keeping your eyes peeled for giraffes, sable antelope and the rare white rhino.
The living museum of Bakone Malapa (8am to 4pm) is a reconstructed village of the type used by the Northern Sotho tribesmen over 250 years ago. Just 9 kms from Polokwane, the museum offers an authentic insight into a traditional tribal village and the history of the Bakone people. Learn how to make fire, brew beer and grind maize or watch the popular handicraft demonstrationa.
The nearby town of Phalaborwa is home to the Amarula Distillery (Monday to Friday 8.30am until 4.30pm, Saturday 9am until 12pm) where the famous Amarula Cream liquor is made - one half of South Africa's favourite shot, the Springbok. Made from the fruit of the indigenous Marula tree which is reputed to have aphrodisiac properties, the Marula tree features prominently in tribal fertility rites. Relax and enjoy a glass of Amarula on the rocks or peruse the Amarula shop.
Polokwane Art Museum houses an impressive collection of over 800 pieces by renowned artists with emphasis on paintings and sculptures by artists from the Limpopo region. One of the collection's main attractions is the Industrial Sculpture Park with the museum also showcasing a variety of traditional crafts.
For a break from the city, and a very handy stop enroute to Kruger, pay a vist to the Magoebaskloof region, at the nothern tip of the Drakensburg Mountains and just over an hour away from Polokwane. You can hike, mountain bike, quad-bike, abseil, water tube or horse ride up here. And if all that drains your adrenalin reserves, the Magoebaskloof is also one of the best places in South Africa for fly-fishing.
Nightlife in Polokwane
It's unlikely you'll be experiencing much nightlife in Polokwane. For starters, that's not an awful lot of it and for seconds, accommodation options in the city are so limited you're likely to be paying only a fleeting visit.
If you do find yourself with something to celebrate or the need to console yourself after dark then we'd recommend heading for the Meropa Casino and Entertainment World. OK - it's 5km out of the city but it has a couple of bars and restaurants (and the Sports Bar at Squires is a good place to take in the football if you can't get tickets for the match) as well as the casino itself, of course.
