Editing Mafikeng (section)

{{More citations needed|date=October 2022}}
{{short description|Capital city of the North-West Province, South Africa}}
{{redirect|Mafeking|the Canadian community|Mafeking, Ontario}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Mafikeng
| official_name            = Mahikeng
| other_name               = Mafeking
|settlement_type = [[List of South African provincial capitals|Provincial Capital]]
| image_skyline            = Mafikeng, North West, South Africa (20506154516).jpg
| caption                  = 
| pushpin_map              = South Africa North West#South Africa#Africa
| coordinates              = {{coord|25|51|56|S|25|38|37|E|region:ZA|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = South Africa
| subdivision_type1        = [[Provinces of South Africa|Province]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[North West (South African province)|North West]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[Districts of South Africa|District]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality|Ngaka Modiri Molema]]
| subdivision_type3        = [[Municipalities of South Africa|Municipality]]
| subdivision_name3        = [[Mahikeng Local Municipality|Mahikeng]]
| subdivision_type4        = Main Place
| established_title        = Established
| established_date         = 1852<ref name=established>{{cite thesis |last=Robson |first=Linda Gillian |title=The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact |date=2011 |type=PhD thesis |publisher=University of Pretoria |chapter=Annexure A |chapter-url=https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/26503/05back.pdf?sequence=6&isAllowed=y#page=31 |url=https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/26503 |hdl=2263/26503 |pages=xlv–lii}}</ref>
| leader_title             = Councillor
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="census2011">{{cite web |url=http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/667020 |title = Main Place Mahikeng |work=Census 2011}}</ref>
| area_total_km2           = 24.57
| elevation_m              = 1500.0
| population_footnotes     = <ref name="census2011" />
| population_total         = 291 527
| population_as_of         = 2011
| population_density_km2   = auto
<!-- demographics (section 1) -->| demographics_type1       = Racial makeup (2011)
| demographics1_footnotes  = <ref name="census2011" />
| demographics1_title1     = [[Bantu peoples of South Africa|Black African]]
| demographics1_info1      = 95.5%
| demographics1_title2     = [[Coloureds|Coloured]]
| demographics1_info2      = 2.3%
| demographics1_title3     = [[Indian South African|Indian]]/[[Asian South African|Asian]]
| demographics1_info3      = 0.8%
| demographics1_title4     = [[European South African|White]]
| demographics1_info4      = 1.3%
| demographics1_title5     = Other
| demographics1_info5      = 0.8%
<!-- demographics (section 2) -->| demographics_type2       = [[First language]]s (2011)
| demographics2_footnotes  = <ref name="census2011" />
| demographics2_title1     = [[Tswana language|Tswana]]
| demographics2_info1      = 78.4%
| demographics2_title2     = [[South African English|English]]
| demographics2_info2      = 0.6%
| demographics2_title3     = [[Afrikaans]]
| demographics2_info3      = 1.1%
| demographics2_title4     = [[Sotho language|Sesotho]]
| demographics2_info4      = 3.0%
| demographics2_title5     = Other
| demographics2_info5      = 11.1%
<!-- blank fields (section 2) -->
<!-- Other information -->| timezone1                = [[South African Standard Time|SAST]]
| utc_offset1              = +2
| postal_code_type         = [[List of postal codes in South Africa|Postal code]] (street)
| postal_code              = 2745
| postal2_code_type        = [[Post-office box|PO box]]
| postal2_code             = 2745
| area_code_type           = [[Telephone numbers in South Africa|Area code]]
| website                  = [http://www.mahikeng.gov.za/ www.mahikeng.gov.za]
}}
'''Mahikeng''' ([[Tswana language|Tswana]] for "Place of Rocks"), formerly known as '''Mafikeng'''<ref name="mg.co.za">{{Cite web|date=2010-02-02|title=Xingwana approves 28 geographical name changes|url=https://mg.co.za/article/2010-02-02-xingwana-approves-28-geographical-name-changes/|access-date=2021-07-26|website=The Mail & Guardian|language=en-ZA}}</ref> and alternatively known as '''Mafeking''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|æ|f|ə|k|ɪ|ŋ}}, {{IPAc-en|USalso|ˈ|m|ɑː|f|-}}), is the capital city of the [[North West Province (South Africa)|North West]] province of South Africa.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tshehle |first=Boitumelo |date=12 September 2012 |title=Mafikeng municipality reverts to its original name: Mahikeng |url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2012-09-12-mafikeng-municipality-reverts-to-its-original-name-mahikeng/ |access-date=23 March 2025 |website=www.sowetanlive.co.za}}</ref>

Close to South Africa's border with [[Botswana]], Mafikeng is {{convert|1400|km|mi|abbr=on}} northeast of [[Cape Town]] and {{convert|260|km|mi|abbr=on}} west of [[Johannesburg]]. In 2001 it had a population of 49,300. In 2007 Mafikeng was reported to have a population of 250,000, of which the [[Central business district|CBD]] constituted between 69,000 and 75,000. It is built on the open [[veld]] at an elevation of {{convert|1500|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, by the banks of the Upper [[Molopo River]]. The Madibi [[gold mining|goldfields]] are some {{convert|15|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of the town.