Bethal

The town originated on an old farm called Blesbokspruit.{{cite book | title=On Route in South Africa: Explore South Africa region by region | publisher=Jonathan Ball Publishers | author=Erasmus, B.P.J. | year=2014 | pages=401 | isbn=9781920289805}}{{rp|302}} The town, established in on 12 October 1880,[http://www.routes.co.za/mp/bethal/index.html http://www.routes.co.za/mp/bethal/index.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130140857/http://routes.co.za/mp/bethal/index.html |date=2010-11-30 }} was named after the combined names of the wives of the owners of the farm, Elizabeth du Plooy and Alida Naude.{{rp|302}} It became a municipality in 1921.{{rp|302}}

Bethal is famous for its potato industry,{{rp|302}} and the annual National Potato Festival was held there in early May, but discontinued in 2007. Other agriculture includes maize, sunflower seeds, sorghum, rye, oats and barley. Animal husbandry includes cattle, dairy and sheep farming.{{rp|302}} Bethal was once the headquarters of AFGRI, an agricultural conglomerate, now based in Centurion but its flour mill remains in the town.{{rp|302}}

Bethal lies in South Africa's coal mining region and there are mines close by. Exxaro acquired the Total Coal South Africa in 2014 and has five mines in the area.{{rp|302}} Apart from exports, the coal is used in the Eskom power stations that dot the region.

The Olifants River has its origin near Bethal.[http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/y5744e/y5744e07.htm Major rivers and streams within the Limpopo River Basin] The river eventually flows into the Limpopo River in Mozambique.

{{Weather box|width=auto

|location = Bethal, elevation {{convert|1663|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1903–present)

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high C = 37.5

|Feb record high C = 34.4

|Mar record high C = 33.3

|Apr record high C = 30.0

|May record high C = 27.4

|Jun record high C = 25.2

|Jul record high C = 24.6

|Aug record high C = 28.1

|Sep record high C = 32.0

|Oct record high C = 33.0

|Nov record high C = 32.6

|Dec record high C = 34.8

|year record high C = 37.5

|Jan high C = 25.8

|Feb high C = 25.9

|Mar high C = 24.8

|Apr high C = 22.8

|May high C = 20.3

|Jun high C = 18.4

|Jul high C = 18.0

|Aug high C = 20.7

|Sep high C = 24.3

|Oct high C = 24.5

|Nov high C = 24.6

|Dec high C = 25.4

|year high C =

|Jan mean C = 19.6

|Feb mean C = 19.6

|Mar mean C = 18.3

|Apr mean C = 15.4

|May mean C = 11.7

|Jun mean C = 9.2

|Jul mean C = 8.7

|Aug mean C = 11.7

|Sep mean C = 16.0

|Oct mean C = 17.3

|Nov mean C = 18.1

|Dec mean C = 19.2

| year mean C =

|Jan low C = 13.4

|Feb low C = 13.3

|Mar low C = 11.8

|Apr low C = 8.1

|May low C = 3.1

|Jun low C = -0.1

|Jul low C = -0.6

|Aug low C = 2.7

|Sep low C = 7.6

|Oct low C = 10.1

|Nov low C = 11.6

|Dec low C = 13.0

| year low C =

|Jan record low C = 4.0

|Feb record low C = 6.0

|Mar record low C = 0.5

|Apr record low C = -1.4

|May record low C = -5.9

|Jun record low C = -9.2

|Jul record low C = -10.6

|Aug record low C = -12.5

|Sep record low C = -5.6

|Oct record low C = -1.2

|Nov record low C = 1.0

|Dec record low C = 1.7

|year record low C = -12.5

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 113.3

|Feb precipitation mm = 109.6

|Mar precipitation mm = 102.7

|Apr precipitation mm = 43.1

|May precipitation mm = 17.2

|Jun precipitation mm = 3.7

|Jul precipitation mm = 3.1

|Aug precipitation mm = 7.3

|Sep precipitation mm = 26.2

|Oct precipitation mm = 85.1

|Nov precipitation mm = 118.4

|Dec precipitation mm = 143.3

|year precipitation mm =

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 15

|Feb precipitation days = 9

|Mar precipitation days = 9

|Apr precipitation days = 7

|May precipitation days = 3

|Jun precipitation days = 2

|Jul precipitation days = 1

|Aug precipitation days = 2

|Sep precipitation days = 4

|Oct precipitation days = 10

|Nov precipitation days = 14

|Dec precipitation days = 13

|year precipitation days = 90

|source 1 = South African Weather Service (precipitation days){{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110909083531/http://old.weathersa.co.za/Climat/Climstats/BethalStats.jsp

| archive-date = 9 September 2011

| url = http://old.weathersa.co.za/Climat/Climstats/BethalStats.jsp

| title = Climate data for Bethal

| access-date = 19 November 2016

|publisher = South African Weather Service}}Starlings Roost Weather{{cite web |url=http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/worldclimate/graphs.php?climate=9120&code=SF000068370

|title= BETHAL, SF Climate: 1991–2020

|publisher=Starlings Roost Weather

|access-date= 27 December 2024}}

|source 2 = Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)

{{cite web

| url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=760

| title = Station Bethal

| publisher = Meteo Climat

|language = fr

| access-date = 19 November 2016}}

}}

Bethal lies in the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality (formerly Highveld East Local Municipality) situated in the Gert Sibande District, of Mpumalanga.

Bethal is the crossroads of three main roads. The R38 leads out north-east to Carolina and south-west to Standerton. The R35 leads north to Middleburg {{convert|80|km|mi|abbr=on}} away while the R35 connects south to Amersfoort 80 km away. The N17 connects westwards to Johannesburg and eastwards to Ermelo and Eswatini.

• Andries Coetzee – South Africa national rugby team player
• Llewellyn Herbert – 2000 Summer Olympics 400 metres hurdles bronze medal winner
• Basil Hirschowitz – gastroenterologist and inventor
• Qedani Mahlangu – Gauteng MEC for Health
• Busisiwe Mkhwebane – Public Protector of South Africa
• Josia Thugwane – 1996 Summer Olympics marathon gold medal winner. South Africa's first black athlete to win an Olympic gold medal
• [https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/south-africa/riaan-dempers-14219927 Riaan Dempers] - South African sprinter and former record holder in the 200 meters

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.bethal.net Bethal business & service listings]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20121222052621/http://www.bethalinfo.co.za/ Bethal information site]

{{Gert Sibande District Municipality}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Populated places in the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality

Category:Populated places established in 1898