Middelburg, Mpumalanga

Middelburg is a large town in Mpumalanga province, South Africa, within the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality of the Nkangala district. It began as a halfway station between Lydenburg and Pretoria and was formally established by Voortrekkers on the banks of the Klein Olifants River in 1864 under the name Nasareth, renamed Middelburg in 1872 to reflect its position midway between the Transvaal capital Pretoria and the gold mining town of Lydenburg. The 2011 census recorded 87,348 residents across 117.40 square kilometers, with municipal projections anticipating substantial further growth. Its economy has long rested on heavy industry and agriculture, anchored by the Columbus Stainless steel plant built in 1965 alongside the older Thos Begbie and Co works.