Bethanie, North West

Bethanie is a town in Bojanala District Municipality in the North West province of South Africa.

The Bell tower in Bethanie is one of the oldest structures in the village. It was constructed in the late 1800s as part of the Mission.
Bethanie
Bethanie
Bethanie
Coordinates: 25.554°S 27.606°E / -25.554; 27.606
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceNorth West
DistrictBojanala
MunicipalityRustenburg
Government
 • CouncillorChief Mamogale
Area
 • Total27.87 km2 (10.76 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total8,429
 • Density300/km2 (780/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African99.1%
 • Coloured0.1%
 • Indian/Asian0.4%
 • White0.1%
 • Other0.3%
First languages (2011)
 • Tswana79.2%
 • Zulu5.2%
 • English4.8%
 • Tsonga2.1%
 • Other8.7%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
0260
PO box
0270
Area code012

tation of the Hermannsburg Mission 37 km north-east of Rustenburg, established in 1864. Of biblical origin (Matt. 26:6 and Mark 14:3; 11:1), the name is Hebrew for 'house of sorrow or misery'.[2]

Bethanie is the capital town of Bakwena Ba Mogopa, a SeTswana speaking traditional community. It is part of 15 villages that form part of the Bakwena Ba Mogopa nation. The village was previously a farm called Losperfontein, owned by Tjaart Kruger, President Paul Kruger's younger brother. The community with the assistance of the missionary, Wilhelm Behrens sen, purchased the farm around 1866, which led to it being renamed Bethanie.

A view of Bethanie, with the iconic Lutheran Church a centerpiece.
  1. "Main Place Bethanie". Census 2011.
  2. Raper, Peter E. (1987). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Internet Archive. p. 76. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
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