About us

The Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela tribe resides in South Africa's North West Province under the jurisdiction of the Moses Kotane Local Municipality in the vicinity of Sun City. Our tribal capital, the village of Moruleng, is a short three kilometres from Bakgatla Gate on the edge of the Pilanesberg National Park.

The Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela have lived and worked there since the 1800s, when Kgosi Pilane settled his people at Mmasobudule on the Elands River, in the area known today as the Pilanesberg. It is comprised of 32 villages spread across an area of 160 000 hectares in the Bojanala District and Moses Kotane Local Municipality. It also shares borders with Limpopo Province, from the Thabazimbi side, and Botswana on the North West side.

Vision
"A viable and sustainable Morafe (Community)"

Meaning of the Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela Logo

3 Totems

Vervet Monkey / Kgabo

Symbolises ‘Wisdom’; it is believed that the vervet monkey played a vital role in saving the tribe from pursuing enemy soldiers, by resorting to making hysterical noises which alerted them of trouble approaching.

Fire: Mollo

Symbolises ‘Power/Strength’: Fire was used to warm the mixture composed of traditional herbs, which the tribesmen would apply on themselves, with the belief that it would protect them from harm during battles.

Calabash: Sedibelo

The calabash contains a mixture of traditional herbs, which is then heated to create a mixture that would be used as armour during battle.

"Sedibelo Mollo se a fša, Se a tshologa”

32 Villages

Mokgalwaneng
Matlametlo
Disake
Sefikile
Mononono
Legogole
Moruleng
Lerome
Sandfontein
Phuting
Mabodisa
Segakwaneng

Manamakgoteng
Ramoga
Legkraal
Lekutung
Wengeval
Lesetlheng
Mositwana
Mogwase
Mabeleapodi
Maologane
Dwarsberg
Motlhabe

Ngweding
Mopyane
Kraalhoek
Magalane
Ntswanalemetsing
Ramoshibitswana
Magong
Mapaputle

Leadership Structure

The Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela traditional leadership structure consists of royal family representatives and community-elected representatives, under the leadership of Kgosi Nyalala Pilane.