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In the 1840s, Voortrekkers under the leadership of Andries Potgieter established Zoutpansbergdorp, a town 100 km to the north west. This settlement had to be abandoned because of clashes with the local tribes. They founded a new town in 1886 and named it Pietersburg in honour of Voortrekker leader Petrus Jacobus Joubert. The British built a concentration camp here during the Boer War to house almost 4,000 Boer women and children. The town became a city on 23 April 1992 and on the 11 June 2003 changed its name to Polokwane. Despite its position on the tropic of Capricorn, the climate is superb because the city is on a plateau thirteen hundred meters above sea level. Average temperatures reaching a high of 27 °C in summer and 20°C in winter permit outdoor living all year round. The excellent climate makes Polokwane an ideal place to live and also promotes sport and recreation. Summer rainfall varies between 400 - 600 mm per year. The Polokwane Municipality's area accounts for 3% of Limpopo province's total surface area and about 10% of the Limpopo's population resides in the Municipal area. Given the fact that Polokwane serves as the Limpopo's economic hub, it has the highest population density in the Capricorn district. The majority of Polokwane's population is rural. This simply shows that the largest sector of the community within the municipality resides in rural tribal villages followed by urban settlements. This area is seen as a place of "myths and legends". There are lots of game viewing opportunities, making Polokwane a popular eco-tourism destination in Southern Africa. Limpopo is divided into four tourism regions, each representing a microcosm of the area's varied and interesting cultures. Peter Mokaba Stadium will be used for matches for the 2010 World Cup.

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