racetrack
Phakisa Freeway
A rare combined oval and road course in the Free State, built in 1999 to bring MotoGP and oval racing to South Africa. The 1.5-mile banked tri-oval sits isolated in the goldfields.
8 km · about 15 min drive
AfricaSouth AfricaFree State
Welkom
Free State, South Africa · Africa
About Welkom
Welkom is worth a stop: 25 minutes from Odendaalsrus, 8km from Phakisa Freeway.
Welkom is in Free State, South Africa, with about 430,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Odendaalsrus, about 12 km away.
Welkom (Afrikaans pronunciation: [ˈvɛlkɔm]) is a city in the Free State province of South Africa, located about 140 kilometres (90 mi) northeast of Bloemfontein, the provincial capital. Welkom is also known as Circle City, City Within A Garden, Mvela and Matjhabeng. The city's Sesotho name, Matjhabeng means 'whereRead more
nations meet', derived from the migrant labour system, where people of various countries such as Lesotho, Malawi and Mozambique etc. met to work in the mines of the gold fields.
A settlement was laid out on a farm named "Welkom" (which is the Afrikaans and Dutch word for "welcome") after gold was discovered in the region, and it was officially proclaimed a town in 1948. The town became a municipality in 1961. It now falls in the Matjhabeng Municipality, part of the Lejweleputswa District.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Welkom?
Within an hour or so of Welkom: Phakisa Freeway (8 km).
Where is Welkom?
Welkom is in Free State, South Africa, about 12 km from Odendaalsrus.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 431,944
- Continent
- Africa
- Country
- South Africa
- Region
- Free State
- Timezone
- Africa/Johannesburg
- Coordinates
- -27.9774, 26.7351
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in South Africa
112 works from mobiles. Avoid driving at night in rural areas; keep doors locked in cities.
Full driving guide for South AfricaTags
Worth the detour from Welkom
1 notable place within an hour's drive.
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