Carletonville

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title: "Carletonville" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-the-merafong-city-local-municipality", "mining-communities-in-south-africa", "west-rand"] topic_path: "geography/south-africa" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carletonville" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
nameCarletonville
other_nameMerafong
pushpin_mapSouth Africa Gauteng#South Africa#Africa
coordinates
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameSouth Africa
subdivision_type1Province
subdivision_name1Gauteng
subdivision_type2District
subdivision_name2West Rand
subdivision_type3Municipality
subdivision_name3Merafong City
subdivision_type4Main Place
established_titleEstablished
established_date1960
leader_titleCouncillor
area_footnotes
area_total_km235.14
population_footnotes
population_total23000
population_as_of2011
population_density_km2auto
demographics_type1Racial makeup (2011)
demographics1_footnotes
demographics1_title1Black African
demographics1_info170.1%
demographics1_title2Coloured
demographics1_info20.9%
demographics1_title3Indian/Asian
demographics1_info31.3%
demographics1_title4White
demographics1_info427.4%
demographics1_title5Other
demographics1_info50.4%
demographics_type2First languages (2011)
demographics2_footnotes
demographics2_title1Afrikaans
demographics2_info124.9%
demographics2_title2Xhosa
demographics2_info219.8%
demographics2_title3Tswana
demographics2_info313.2%
demographics2_title4Sotho
demographics2_info413.2%
demographics2_title5Other
demographics2_info528.9%
timezone1SAST
utc_offset1+2
postal_code_typePostal code (street)
postal_code2499
postal2_code_typePO box
postal2_code2500
area_code_typeArea code
area_code018
::

| name = Carletonville | other_name = Merafong | pushpin_map = South Africa Gauteng#South Africa#Africa | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = South Africa | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Gauteng | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = West Rand | subdivision_type3 = Municipality | subdivision_name3 = Merafong City | subdivision_type4 = Main Place | established_title = Established | established_date = 1960 | leader_title = Councillor | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 35.14 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 23000 | population_as_of = 2011 | population_density_km2 = auto | demographics_type1 = Racial makeup (2011) | demographics1_footnotes = | demographics1_title1 = Black African | demographics1_info1 = 70.1% | demographics1_title2 = Coloured | demographics1_info2 = 0.9% | demographics1_title3 = Indian/Asian | demographics1_info3 = 1.3% | demographics1_title4 = White | demographics1_info4 = 27.4% | demographics1_title5 = Other | demographics1_info5 = 0.4% | demographics_type2 = First languages (2011) | demographics2_footnotes = | demographics2_title1 = Afrikaans | demographics2_info1 = 24.9% | demographics2_title2 = Xhosa | demographics2_info2 = 19.8% | demographics2_title3 = Tswana | demographics2_info3 = 13.2% | demographics2_title4 = Sotho | demographics2_info4 = 13.2% | demographics2_title5 = Other | demographics2_info5 = 28.9% | timezone1 = SAST | utc_offset1 = +2 | postal_code_type = Postal code (street) | postal_code = 2499 | postal2_code_type = PO box | postal2_code = 2500 | area_code_type = Area code | area_code = 018 Carletonville is a town in Gauteng and the seat of the Merafong City Local Municipality in the West Rand District Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, just north of the richest gold-mining area in the world. At 3,749 m, Western Deep Levels holds the record for the world's deepest gold mine.

History

Developed by various mining companies from 1937 onwards, Carletonville was named after the long-serving mining director of Consolidated Gold Fields, Guy Carleton Jones, but was not officially incorporated until 1959. Upon reaching a population of 2000 1967, (mostly white inhabitants of the apartheid era) it became officially recognised and celebrated as a provincial town. There are several privately owned gold-mining township villages and contractor labour quarters established on mining ground owned by the various mining houses which operate in the area. The villages are located to the South of the R501 provincial road which forms the southern boundary of Carletonville. While the mining companies themselves have changed hands, or amalgamated and changed names, the mine villages situated to south are known as Blyvooruitzicht, (the oldest) Western Deep and Elandsrand. To the west and south-west is Doornfontein and Deelkraal and to the east is East Village at East Driefontein. The Town of Carletonville serves as the major shopping centre for the mine village townships. Mines are only permitted tuck shops for basic necessities, which are usually located at mine recreation centres, or on privately owned farm boundaries close to contractor labour quarters.

The site of a 3 October 2007 collapse at Elandsrand mine, is located some 11 km south of Carletonville. In 1964, a sinkhole in the former mining village township of Westdene, Blyvooruitzicht, buried the entire Oosthuizen family and their helper, alive. Situated some 5½ km south of Carletonville and being one of four village townships at the Blyvooruitzicht Gold Mine, Westdene, was consequently abandoned and then later demolished. The subsequent housing shortage was quickly normalised by extending the Southdene village township with pre-fabricated asbestos housing. Approximately 170 families were housed in caravans at the once lovely, but now derelict, Blyvooruitsicht Recreation Centre. Some of the prefabricated houses in the extensions to Southdene were erected at a distance of only 400 meters south of the sinkhole, while some pre-existing housing in Southdene and Northdene are situated even closer to the sinkhole than that. Unknown at the time, on 28 March 2008 all asbestos products would be banned in South Africa as an extreme health hazard, but many asbestos prefabricated houses in Southdene and houses containing asbestos products in ceilings and roofs all around South Africa and the World, are still occupied today.

Geography

The town of Oberholzer is situated in the constituency of Carletonville & there are no distinct boundaries separating Oberholzer from Carletonville. Together, they make one city.

Law and government

Government

Carletonville is the seat of the Merafong City Local Municipality and is situated in the West Rand District Municipality of Gauteng Province.

Economy

  • The economy of the town is dominated by the villagers who live on property owned by the large gold mines surrounding the town. #It is also the home to one of the world's deepest mines.

Retail

Carletonville Mall, a 25,000m2 shopping complex, opened its doors in 2015 with over 85 stores. The mall is anchored by Choppies, Pick n Pay, and Woolworths.

Carletonville is well known as the home of EDURA, a super popular Discount Megastore which attracts customers from across Southern Africa. The new EDURA Megastore was opened in 2024. https://www.citizen.co.za/carletonville-herald/local-news/2024/09/18/edura-south-africas-favourite-discount-megastore-has-recently-opened-their-new-megastore-in-carletonville-merafong-city/?amp

Notable people

Twin Towns

Carletonville is twinned with:

References

References

  1. "Main Place Carletonville". Census 2011.
  2. (February 2022)
  3. (2015-07-01). "Introducing to you the Carletonville Mall". Randfontein Herald.

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