Modjadjiskloof

Modjadjiskloof Duiwelskloof
Modjadjiskloof Modjadjiskloof
Coordinates: 23°42′S 30°08′E
Country	South Africa
Province	Limpopo
District	Mopani
Municipality	Greater Letaba
Area
• Total	2.99 km2 (1.15 sq mi)
Elevation	875 m (2,871 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	1,815
• Density	610/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	47.4%
• Coloured	0.5%
• Indian/Asian	2.8%
• White	47.9%
• Other	1.5%
First languages (2011)
• Afrikaans	43.7%
• Northern Sotho	23.3%
• English	12.3%
• Tsonga	9.7%
• Other	11.0%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	0835
PO box	0835
Area code	015

Modjadjiskloof, formerly Duiwelskloof, is a small town situated at the foot of the escarpment in the Limpopo province of South Africa.

The village is 18 km north of Tzaneen. Surveyed in 1919 and proclaimed in 1920, it was administered by a village management board. The Sunland Baobab tree, that was located nearby, lost a large chunk of its main stem early in 2017 and the rest of the tree fell into pieces in April 2017.

The town was named in honour of the Modjadji or Rain Queen, hereditary ruler of the Balobedu people of the area and at some stage the only ruling queen in South Africa.

Name change

The former name Duiwelskloof, Afrikaans for ‘Devil’s ravine’, was possibly given by virtue of the rugged, awe inspiring aspect, or because of the difficulty with which laden wagons trekked through it in the rainy season.

Duiwelskloof was renamed Modjadjiskloof on June 14, 2004. Unlike most name changes, Duiwelskloof kept the Afrikaans suffix "-kloof" (meaning valley) in its new name. The name "Ngoako Ramalepe" was also proposed.