About North West

North West province sits atop the Bushveld Igneous Complex, home to the world's richest platinum reserves, and mines around Rustenburg and the Royal Bafokeng Nation's land supply a large share of the world's platinum-group metals. The town of Mahikeng, the provincial capital, was the site of a 217-day siege during the Second Boer War that made Robert Baden-Powell a national figure before he went on to found the Scout movement. West of Rustenburg, the Pilanesberg's ring of extinct volcanic hills encloses Sun City, the casino-and-golf resort built by Sol Kerzner in the 1970s, while Hartbeespoort Dam draws weekend crowds from Johannesburg and Pretoria for boating and its cableway. Beyond the mining belt, the province is largely maize and cattle country on the highveld plains bordering Botswana, with Potchefstroom serving as a university and sporting hub on the Mooi River.

Away from North West's main towns, Pecanwood Estate hosts the multi-day Yoga Retreat Spring Detox by the Lake this week. Wolmaransstad answers with a concert of its own, Ruhan du Toit @ Hoerskool Wolmaransstad, while Brits turns out for comedy with Robbie Wessels @ Brits dienssentrum. Zeerust keeps its festival streak alive with Mzansi Beats Festival 26, and Sun City closes out the month with the Sun City GM's Kasi Ride.