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Thohoyandou
Thohoyandou
Coordinates: 22°57′S 30°29′E / 22.95°S 30.483°E / -22.95; 30.483Coordinates: 22°57′S 30°29′E / 22.95°S 30.483°E / -22.95; 30.483
Country	South Africa
Province	Limpopo
District municipality	Vhembe
Local municipality	Thulamela
Time zone	South Africa Standard Time (UTC+2)

Thohoyandou is a town in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.

Thohoyandou is the administrative and legislative centre for the Venda region in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.Thohoyandou is the former capital of the independent homeland of the Venda people. Its name means "head of the elephant" in Venda.

Thohoyandou is situated in the south of Venda, on the main road between Louis Trichardt and the Kruger National Park. This is the lush agricultural centre of Venda, with its banana plantations, acres of sub-tropical fruit, tobacco and maize lands.

History

Thohoyandou is the former capital of the independent homeland of the Venda people.^{[citation needed]} Its name means "head of the elephant" in Venda.

Just a few kilometers away from Thohoyandou is where the natural Nandoni Dam is situated. The community fishing industry significantly rose just after the dam was built. Thohoyandou is a town dominated by Venda-speaking people; however most of the business owners are Indians. Indians get business opportunities where Venda people struggle.

Thohoyandou is surrounded by small townships such as Muledane, Shayandima, Makwarela, and Maniini.

Coffee and tea plantations abound in the higher slopes. It is a well-populated area, dotted with tidy villages.

Business/Commerce

The town is the commercial, administrative and legislative centre for the district. It is a bustling centre of commerce, well served with shopping complexes, an interesting museum and a hotel and casino of international standard.

Thohoyandou is the main development node in the Thulamela Local Municipal Area with a total of approximately 80 000 residents within the proclaimed boundaries of the town. It is further surrounded by numerous rural settlements situated on the outskirts of the proclaimed area.

Thohoyandou forms the main business center of the area with the offices of the Vhembe District Municipality as well as the regional offices of several Government Departments also situated within the town.

Education

The town is home to the University of Venda.