The North West Province, provides a link between South Africa and Botswana. The province is the largest platinum production area in the world, and its Stelland area is the "Texas of South Africa" with some of the biggest cattle herds in the world.
Much of the province consists of flat areas of scattered trees and grassland. The Magaliesberg mountain range in the northeast extends about 130 km (80 miles) from Pretoria to Rustenburg. The Vaal River flows along the southern border of the province.
The mainstay of the economy of North West Province is mining, which generates more than half of the province's gross domestic product and provides jobs for a quarter of its workforce. The chief minerals are gold, mined at Orkney and Klerksdorp; uranium, mined at Klerksdorp; platinum, mined at Rustenburg and Brits; and diamonds, mined at Lichtenburg, Christiana, and Bloemhof. About 85% of all money-making activities take place between Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom. The economic heart of the province is Klerksdorp. The northern and western parts of the province have many sheep farms and cattle and game ranches. The eastern and southern parts are crop-growing regions that produce maize (corn), sunflowers, tobacco, cotton, and citrus fruits. The entertainment and casino complex at Sun City and Lost City also contributes to the provincial economy.
The majority of the province's residents are Tswana people who speak Tswana, as in neighbouring Botswana. Smaller groups include Afrikaans, Sotho, and Xhosa speaking people. English is spoken primarily as a second language.
Temperatures range from 17° to 31 °C (62° to 88 °F) in the summer and from 3° to 21 °C (37° to 70 °F) in the winter. Annual rainfall totals about 360 mm (about 14 in), with almost all of it falling during the summer months, between October and April.
The N12 highway runs from Kimberley through the eastern part of the province (Klerksdorp, Potchefstroom) to Johannesburg. The N14 from Upington joins the N12 in Wolmaranstaad. The N4 runs through the north of the province. It comes from Gaborone in Botswana, goes through Zeerust and Rustenburg and from there to the north of Pretoria.
The airport of Pilanesberg/Sun City offers flights from Johannesburg.
The capital city of Mmabatho/Mafikeng has regular flights operated by South African Airways from Johannesburg.
Rustenburg Airfield.
Greyhound and Translux offer bus connections from other provinces.