Modjadjiskloof, formerly Duiwelskloof, is a small town situated at the foot of the escarpment in the

Limpopo Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is ...

province of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. The village is 18 km north of

Tzaneen Tzaneen () is a large tropical garden town situated in the Mopani District Municipality of the Limpopo province in South Africa. It is situated in a high rainfall fertile region with tropical and subtropical agriculture taking place in a region ...

. Surveyed in 1919 and proclaimed in 1920, it was administered by a village management board. The Sunland Baobab tree, that was located nearby, lost a large chunk of its main stem early in 2017 and the rest of the tree fell into pieces in April 2017. The town was named in honour of the

Modjadji Queen Modjadji, or the Rain Queen, is the hereditary queen of Balobedu, a people of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The Rain Queen is believed to have special powers, including the ability to control the clouds and rainfall. Modjadji R ...

Rain Queen Queen Modjadji, or the Rain Queen, is the hereditary queen of Balobedu, a people of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The Rain Queen is believed to have special powers, including the ability to control the clouds and rainfall. Modjadji R ...

, hereditary ruler of the Balobedu people of the area and at some stage the only ruling queen in South Africa.

Name change

The former name Duiwelskloof, Afrikaans for ‘Devil’s ravine’, was possibly given by virtue of the rugged, awe inspiring aspect, or because of the difficulty with which laden wagons trekked through it in the rainy season. Duiwelskloof was renamed Modjadjiskloof on June 14, 2004. Unlike most name changes, Duiwelskloof kept the Afrikaans suffix "-kloof" (meaning valley) in its new name. The name "Ngoako Ramalepe" was also proposed.

References

Populated places in the Greater Letaba Local Municipality 1920 establishments in South Africa {{Limpopo-geo-stub