Bela-Bela

Previous Name: Warmbaths | Warmbad

Municipality

Municipality: Bela-Bela Local Municipality
District Municipality: Waterberg District Municipality

Name

Bela-bela means 'Boiling Place' in Sotho. In English it is known as Warmbaths, its official name until 2002 when it was changed to Bela-bela.

Attractions

Also see the neighbouring towns

The hot spring delivers about 23'000l per hour at a temperature of 62°C. The spring water contains, among other chemicals, sodium chloride and calcium carbonate. The water is also radioactive.

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History

The hot springs in this area were cleaned out by Jan Grobler and Carl van Heerden when they saw the mist caused by the hot water in the cold air during a hunting trip. They settled here and called the place 'Het Bad', Dutch for 'The Bath'.In 1873 the president of the Transvaal Republic, Thomas Francois Burgers, visited the place and afterwards persuaded the government to purchase it to be put under state control. Only by the 1880s was the township developed on the neighboring farm.

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Climate

Today's Weather Report for Bela-Bela

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Economy

Farming: The Springbok Plains to the south produce wheat, peanuts, maize and citrus.

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