|
BRITS , NORTH WEST, SOUTH AFRICA:
Founded in 1924 on the farm Roode Kopjes, it was named for the
owner Gert Brits.
Brits,
close to Pretoria, en route to Rustenburg,
is a fertile, citrus-producing area irrigated by the waters of the Hartebeespoort
Dam. Today it is a modern, developing town surrounded by fragrant citrus
groves.
GENERAL INFO:
Brits is a large town and district situated in a fertile, citrus-producing
area that is irrigated by the waters of the Hartbeespoort Dam in North
West Province of South Africa. It is close to the City of Tshwane Metropolitan
Municipality in Gauteng, which includes Pretoria and it has the same dialling
code as Pretoria. In addition to being a centre for agriculture, the town
is home to several heavy industries.
The town also plays an important role in the South African
mining industry: 94% of South Africa's platinum comes from the Rustenburg
and Brits districts, which together produce more platinum than any other
single area in the world. In addition, there is a large vanadium mine
in the district.
Brits was founded in 1924 on the farm Roode Kopjes (Red
Hills) and was named after the owner, Gert Brits. The First Boer War armistice
treaty was signed in 1864 beneath a karee tree just to the south of Brits.
A speech by General Hertzog in 1912 at the nearby De Wildt railway station
led to the formation of the National Party.
The De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre, renowned for its
success in breeding and studying cheetah, king cheetah, brown hyena, suni,
blue duiker and wild dogs is situated in the small town of De Wildt, just
east of Brits.
Quick Facts
-
Brits is also the birthplace of the first cloned animal
in Africa, a cow.
-
The Indian area in Brits is called Primindia.
-
Brits is part of the Local Municipality of Madibeng.
-
Brits was linked to the Pretoria by the N4 Platinum
Bakwena Toll Road in the early 2000s, which significantly cut travel
time between Brits and the major cities of Gauteng.
-
As of 2006, Brits was experiencing a development boom,
because of increased mining activity in the region.
ATTRACTIONS:
Atrractions include the De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre (specializes
in breeding cheetah), Granite Works (the larges diamond saws in the world
are used to cut the blocks), Vaalkop Nature Reserve, Le Croc Tours, Rainbow
Cultural Village, Margaret Roberts Herbal Centre, Arendsnes Sports Academy
and Adventure centre.
CLIMATE:
Warm and subtropical with fertile soil.
ECONOMY:
Mostly farming, tobacco, wheat, vegetables, fruit, grapes, citrus, and
wildlife. Platinum and chrome mining plays a big role in the rapid growth
of Brits.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS:
We are on the way to Sun City, Pilanesberg, Madikwe, Hartbeespoortdam,
Dikololo , Chameleon Village, Borakalalo Nature Reserve.
|
