It is estimated that the Tswana migrants had reached the Eastern part of the present Bophuthatswana by the year 1600. During the ensuing two centuries many tribes became subdivided into smaller tribes. The Rolong split up into the Thlaping and other groups while the Hurutse divided into the Manyana, Thlaro. Khurutse and other smaller tribes.
The Kgatla tribes split into groups such as the Mosethla, Kgafela, Motsha and others. Another subdivision of the early Hurutse people, the Kwena, later split into the Fokeng, Mogopa, Modimosana and Phalane sections. During the troubled years between 1820 and 1840 the Tswana tribes were attacked and routed by warriors of the Matabele chief Mzilikazi and other aggressors.

After the advent of the White man the process of fragmentation of the Tswana people was gradually superseded by a process of amalgamation.
In 1977 75 autonomous tribes comprise the Tswana nation of Bophuthatswana and the population totalled 2,100,000 while the de facto population was estimated at 1,036,000.

The Tswana Territorial Authority became a legislative assembly on 30 April 1970 and on 1 June 1972 the Tswana homeland became known as Bophuthatswana when the State President of South Africa declared its twelve districts a Self-governing territory within the borders of the Republic of South Africa. The Legislative Assembly adopted a constitution for Bophuthatswana that was drafted by the Tswana people to suit their particular needs.
The first general election was held on 4 October 1972.

During its session of November 1975 the Legislative Assembly gave Chief Minister Mangope a mandate to negotiate Bophuthatswana’s Independence with the South African Government. A joint cabinet committee and a seven-member working committee were then established to prepare for Bophuthatswana’s Independence on 6 December 1977.

Geographical and physical features
The land-consolidation proposals adopted by the South African Parliament in 1975 provide for Bophuthatswana to consist of six separate blocks. Except for Thaba Nchu. which is located in the southern part of the present Orange Free State, these areas are situated in the Western Transvaal and the North-western Cape Province. The country has three river catchment areas - those of the Molopo, Limpopo and Vaal Rivers. The Molopo catchment area is characterized by dry, sand-filled river-beds. The tributaries of the Limpopo River drain the northern districts while the Harts River and its tributary the Dry Harts River mainly the Taung district. On account of its semi-arid Bushveld and grass-veld, Bophuthatswana is specially suited to cattle farming. The country is also rich in mineral deposits, which augurs very well for its future.

Industry
The country’s major industrial growth point is situated at Babelegi some 50 km north of Pretoria. Industries have also been established at Selosesha (Thaba Nchu), Pokeng and Montshiwa.At Babelegi 85 factories have already been established on an area of 176 ha. All available sites have been allocated to industrialists and 100 factories ought to be in full production at the end of 1977.

Source Bophuthatswana Brochure published by INTERSAPA (1979)

Gerrie Coetzee (SA) vs Mike Weaver (USA)
When Gerrie Coetzee (Born 1955) stepped into the ring at Sun City, Bophuthatswana on 25 October 1980 to fight Mike Weaver for the World Boxing Association’s heavy-weight title it was only the third time in the long history of this division that a world heavy-weight championship fight was held in Africa.

A special stadium was built at Sun City (Superbowl) to accommodate a crowd of approximately 16000, and millions more around the world watched the fight live via television. Coetzee lost in the 13th out of 15 Rounds with a TKO.
Coetzee's boxing career included 40 fights, 33 wins, 6 lost and one draw.

Mining in Bophuthatswana
Bophuthatswana is rich in mineral deposits that were being exploited at 36 operating mines. The most important deposits are platinum, iron ore, manganese, sandstone, limestone, granite, chrome, fluorspar, nickel, vanadium, salt, copper and asbestos.

In the late 1970’s, five platinum mines provided employment for 57000 workers. One of the world’s largest platinum mines, the Impala Mine, operates in the Mankwe and Bafokeng districts. At two other platinum mines this valuable mineral is being mined partly on tribal land and partly on White-owned land in the Rustenburg district.

Vanadium is mined at the Ucar Mine in the Odi district asbestos in the Ganyesa and Thlaping- Thlaro districts and chrome in the vicinity of Rustenburg and Marico. There are also six granite quarries in Bophuthatswana. Three limestone mines are located in the Taung district. Other mines produce fluorspar in the Odi district and manganese in Lehurutse. Sandstone reserves are present in the country’s districts north of Pretoria.

Since 1969 the Bantu Mining Corporation has spent R527,740 on exploration in Bophuthatswana while the cost of exploration activities carried out by private enterprise amounted to R1,934,214 during the period 1972 to 1977.

Agriculture in Bophuthatswana
As a result of the relatively low rainfall experienced in Bophuthatswana, the country’s main agricultural activity is stock farming, especially cattle farming. Although the turnover of cattle is higher than in most other Black states in Southern Africa, agricultural experts are convinced that the gross value of the country’s cattle can be considerably increased by better farming methods.
Bophuthatswana is partially situated in the most prosperous maize-farming area of Southern Africa. In 1974 the dry-land crops produced by Tswana
farmers totalled 34,500 tons of maize on 38,800 hectares, 7800 tons of grain sorghum on 13400 hectares and 3200 tons of wheat on 13100 hectares.