About Mahikeng

Mahikeng, historically known as Mafeking, is best remembered for the 217-day Siege of Mafeking during the Second Boer War, when Colonel Robert Baden-Powell led the town's defence against Boer forces in a standoff that made international headlines and later informed the founding of the Scouting movement. The town became the capital of the British Bechuanaland Protectorate and, later, of the apartheid-era homeland of Bophuthatswana, a history reflected in landmarks like the Mmabatho Stadium and the Molema Museum. It remains the capital of North West province today, seat of the provincial legislature and government offices in the adjoining planned township of Mmabatho. The surrounding area is cattle-farming country on the edge of the Kalahari, and the town sits close to the Botswana border along a route that has long made it a regional trading post.

Mahikeng's conference season opens with the G12 Inspire Conference 2026 at Mmabatho Unibo Chapel, while nightlife heads keep an eye on The Return Maftowns Annual Old School Party 2026. Families can explore Garden of Eden at the Botanical Gardens, music lovers have the One Night Stand Live Music Concert to look forward to in early November, and the year closes with the Maftown Spin Fest 2026 at Mmabatho Stadium.