City · South Africa
Thabazimbi
Thabazimbi was an iron mining town in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The town is at the feet of the Ysterberg and is surrounded by the Witfonteinrand and Boshofberg with the Kransberg in the background. The name Thabazimbi means mountain of iron because of the large iron ore reef that was discovered in 1919 by J. H. Williams. Up until the mine closure in 2015, due to a 65 million ton rock fall, two million tonnes of ore was once hauled by train to Mittal's iron and steel works. The railway line from Rustenburg reached the area in the 1930s and full scale iron and steel production began. The town was proclaimed in 1953. Kumba Iron Ore, previously Kumba Resources, is now the principal operator of the iron ore mine.
Good to know
- Population: 34,561.
- Founded: 1953.
- Timezone: Africa/Johannesburg.