Valdezia

Demographic figures from Statistics South Africa. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

Overview

Valdezia is a sprawling rural settlement situated at the foothills of the Soutpansberg mountain range in Louis Trichardt, Limpopo Province, South Africa. It was formerly known as Albasini before Swiss Missionaries renamed it Valdezia in 1875. The village itself was formally established in 1820 by Tsonga refugees who were fleeing despotic rule from Soshangane. It is roughly 10 km east of Elim Hospital in the Hlanganani district in the former Gazankulu homeland, South Africa. It was the site of a Swiss mission station, and it was named after the Swiss canton of Vaud. Valdezia's population, according to the official census of 2011, currently stands at between 7,600 and 8,000 people. It is considered the birthplace of the written Tsonga language in South Africa.

Geography

Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.

Air quality

Current readings from Open-Meteo Air Quality API (Copernicus CAMS European reanalysis).

Wildlife & biodiversity

Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

Earthquake history

Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).

Notable people from here

Michael Masutha

South African politician

Daniel Cornel Marivate

Writer of first Xitsonga Novel (1897-1989)

C

Cornelius Tennyson Daniel Marivate

Xitsonga professor and son of first Xitsonga novelist, Daniel Cornel Marivate

D

Desiree N'wamhamba Marivate

Nurse and daughter of first tsonga novelist, Daniel Cornel Marivate

C

Charles Daniel Marivate

Medical Doctor and son of first Xitsonga novelist, Daniel Cornel Marivate

M

Martin Marivate

Doctor and son of first Xitsonga novelist, Daniel Cornel Marivate (1934-2020)

B

Bertha Marivate

Spouse of famous Xitsonga novelist, Daniel Cornel Marivate

C

Cecil Roy Marivate

Xitsonga school teacher and son of first tsonga novelist, Daniel Cornel Marivate

People born within ~10 km, from Wikidata (CC0). Click any name for their Wikipedia article.

Nearby places in Limpopo

• Bungeni
  5.7 mi away
• Levubu
  6.9 mi away
• Chavani
  7.6 mi away
• Bokisi
  8.6 mi away
• Elim
  8.9 mi away · pop. 16,538
• Mbhokota Village
  9 mi away
• Mashamba
  9.3 mi away
• Riverplaats
  11.4 mi away
• Dzanani
  15.5 mi away
• Louis Trichardt
  18.2 mi away · pop. 25,360
• Ngovhela
  18.6 mi away
• Ngwenani
  19.6 mi away

Browse all places in Limpopo →

Geography & sun

Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.

Public attention

Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.

Recently spotted species

Painted Reed Frog

Hyperolius marmoratus

Seen 2026-06-15

ribbon plant

Hypoestes aristata

Seen 2026-06-02

White Pear

Apodytes dimidiata

Seen 2026-06-01

Modjadji Cycad

Encephalartos transvenosus

Seen 2026-05-24

Spotted Brown Pansy

Junonia natalica

Seen 2026-05-15

Hairy Golden Orb-weaving Spider

Trichonephila fenestrata

Seen 2026-04-17

Tawny-flanked Prinia

Prinia subflava

Seen 2026-03-19

Traveller's joy

Clematis brachiata

Seen 2026-03-19

Common River Frog

Amietia delalandii

Seen 2026-03-14

Research-grade observations from iNaturalist (within ~15 mi).

Gallery

Geotagged photos within ~6 miles of Valdezia, from Wikimedia Commons contributors.

1 mi3.9 mi3.9 mi3.9 mi3.9 mi5.4 mi5.4 mi5.4 mi

Photos via Wikimedia Commons — see each image page for license & attribution.