Breyten

Breyten
SAR Class 19 no. 1369, plinthed in Breyten SAR Class 19 no. 1369, plinthed in Breyten
Breyten is located in Mpumalanga Breyten  Breyten shown within Mpumalanga
Coordinates:
Country	South Africa
Province	Mpumalanga
District	Gert Sibande
Municipality	Msukaligwa
Established	{{#property:P571}}
Area
• Total	4.52 km2 (1.75 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	14,347
• Density	3,200/km2 (8,200/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	94.4%
• Coloured	0.8%
• Indian/Asian	0.6%
• White	4.0%
• Other	0.2%
First languages (2011)
• Zulu	81.4%
• Swazi	4.5%
• Afrikaans	4.3%
• English	2.9%
• Other	6.8%
Postal code (street)	2330
PO box	2330
Area code	017

Breyten is a small farming town in Mpumalanga, South Africa and is situated at the foot of Klipstapel, the highest point on the watershed between the westward flowing Vaal River system and the eastward flowing Olifants and Komati River systems. The original farm, Bothasrus on which the town is built was given to Lukas Potgieter as compensation for losing a leg during the first Boer War. He later sold the farm to field-cornet Nicolaas Breytenbach, who formed the village in his own name.

Breyten is close to Ermelo. In fact, the community from Breyten do most of their household business in Ermelo.

Breyten is heavily dependent on the mines around it. Tselentis, Spitzkop and other mines employ the majority of the people of Breyten. There is also a leather factory in Breyten called JCB Leather Works, it produces top leather goods. The main spoken languages are i-SiSwati, Zulu and Ndebele.

Breyten has also a college called Xtensive ICT Academy a private company that deals with information technology (IT) Learnerships and private classes

Breyten was once a vibrant and well established rail stop. Passenger and freight trains departed and or connected in Breyten to Johannesburg, Nelspruit, Witbank, Pretoria and other areas of South Africa. Common freight transported was agricultural produce, livestock and most predominantly coal from the local and adjacent coal mines. To this day, coal is still the most transported goods. Due to changing economic times, the town has become depressed with unemployment at its highest.

There are good things to be told about Breyten though. In today's times, Breyten is a stop over for tourist en route to various holidays destination in the lowveld and the highveld. In summer, the cosmos blanket is spread across the highveld farms around Breyten and it is breath taking and pleasing to the eye. There is a Hotel and a few guest houses in the small antique town of Breyten. Also, a lot of places where one can go and take a sip of cool drinks whilst enjoying good music and food are found. The adjacent township of KwaZanele is vibrant and it never sleeps. April and December holidays are the most enjoyable in the township of KwaZanele.

For nature lovers, Lake Chrissie just 2km from Breyten and KwaZanele offers a magnificent sight seeing of frogs that falls with the rain. The weather in Breyten is unpredictable. Let us just say it is too hot when its hot and too cold when it is cold. Visitors must therefore carry clothing for two season in any day as a summer day could turn in to a winter day and winter day could turn in to a rainy warm summer day. The nearest towns are Ermelo from the N17, Hendrina from the Middelburg/Witbank N4 and Carolina on the N11 or R36. Off late, there has been some economic activity with new mines proposed to open, a local Hospital opened, One day accommodation places opened and more houses built. Breyten is a place to be and given an opportunity, it will be a top destination in the Highveld.

External links

• Google Map