Thohoyandou is a town situated along the R524 Regional Route in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.
It is the modern bustling business and administrative centre of Thulamela Local Municipality and Vhembe District Municipality.
Thohoyandou is also known for being the former capital of the Bantustan of Venda.
The town’s name Thohoyandou, means ‘head of the elephant’ in Tshivenda.
Thohoyandou lies below the Soutpansberg Mountains, in the south of Vhembe District, north-west of Malamulele on the R524 main road between Louis Trichardt and the famous Kruger National Park
Today, Thohoyandou is one of the fastest-growing towns in Limpopo. It is also home to the University of Venda (UNIVEN).
Thohoyandou is surrounded by small rural townships such as Maungani, Ngovhela, Vondwe, Phiphidi, Muledane, Duthuni, Tshisahulu, Maungani, Shayandima, Makwarela, and Maniini.
Celebrated as the agricultural hub of Venda, the city is filled with acres of colourful sub-tropical fruit, decorated with protective blue plastic bags and banana plantations that stretch along the roads. This is the land of lush vegetation – responsible for the abundant growth of tobacco and maize fields that lie between the rural villages across the landscape.
Thohoyandou houses contemporary styled buildings and its home to the elegant Venda Sun Hotel. Local attractions – with names that easily roll off the tongues of locals – captivate visitors with their history and cultural allure.
From the archaeological site of Tshimbubfe to the illustrious Thathe Vondo Forest, which is home to the Thathe Vondo tea estates, Sacred Forest, Mahovhohvho, the Makumbani Dam and Lake Fundudzi there are many adventures waiting to be explored! Thohoyandou is also situated in close proximity to the world famous Kruger National Park.
History
Thohoyandou was established and built at a large portion of the village of Tshiluvhi in the late 1970s. It was established by president Patrick Ramaano Mphephu who was the Prime Minister of the Venda Bantustan.
Thohoyandou became the capital of Venda when Venda was declared a republic in 1979, and Thovhele ´Mphephu became the President of the Republic of Venda. Thohoyandou became the centre and economic hub of the Republic of Venda.
A stadium was built in Thohoyandou to celebrate the independence of Venda, and was known as the Venda Independence Stadium. The name was changed to Thohoyandou Stadium in 1994.