Middelburg, South Africa

Capital City

Middelburg is a large town of 278,000 people that's growing rapidly at 4.9% per year - the population is expected to reach 500,000 by 2030. While it has a diverse cultural makeup, the town faces typical challenges for smaller South African cities, including addressing past inequalities in services and infrastructure. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, with the town struggling to incorporate and uplift former apartheid-era townships. On the plus side, Middelburg is situated conveniently near the Kruger National Park, with a small but growing tourism industry. Overall, this industrial hub is best suited for rugged expats looking to avoid the slump of Europe's post-war economy, rather than those seeking a laidback small-town lifestyle.