Grootvlei

Grootvlei is a town in Dipaleseng Local Municipality in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. An old mining town, Grootvlei is located near the N3 road and on the R51 road, 5 km from Grootvlei Power Station.[2]

Grootvlei
Grootvlei
Grootvlei
Coordinates: 26.791°S 28.515°E / -26.791; 28.515
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceMpumalanga
DistrictGert Sibande
MunicipalityDipaleseng
Area
 • Total10.31 km2 (3.98 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total5,415
 • Density530/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African76.9%
 • Coloured1.0%
 • Indian/Asian0.7%
 • White21.2%
 • Other0.2%
First languages (2011)
 • Sotho41.5%
 • Zulu24.0%
 • Afrikaans20.9%
 • Xhosa4.2%
 • Other9.5%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
2420
PO box
n/a

Description

The community had a booming economy in the 1970s and 1980s, when demand for coal from the power station created many jobs in the mining sector, but when the power plant was mothballed in the late 1980s due to overproduction of electricity, the local economy collapsed and Grootvlei became a virtual ghost town. The power plant was recommissioned in 2008, leading to a new period of growth.[3]

References
  1. "Main Place Grootvlei". Census 2011.
  2. "Towns included in the Grasslands Meander". Grasslands Meander. Archived from the original on 23 July 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  3. "Lights on at Grootvlei after two dark decades". IOL News. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
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