Small South African town voted the best in the country now suffering with service delivery problems

The small agricultural town of Bloemhof in the North West Province was voted Town of the Year in 2025. However, it is now beset by service delivery failures of its municipality.

The town is a small settlement on the banks of the Vaal River, home to 2,000 residents proper and up to 50,000 residents in the broader local municipality.

Established in August 1864, the settlement cropped up following the discovery of diamonds in the area.

It was named after Jan Bloem, who was the right-hand man to the chief of the Springbok clan of the Korana nation.

In modern times, its economy relies mainly on agriculture, which includes maize, sunflowers, sorghum, peanuts, lucerne, and cattle.

However, it also has a significant tourism industry.

In the 2025 Kwêla Town of the Year Awards, Bloemhof beat out Rehoboth (Namibia), Wilderness (Western Cape) and Pennington (KwaZulu-Natal) to claim the top spot.

The town was lauded for its tranquil setting and natural beauty around the Vaal River, and as a popular stopover for holidaymakers.

Being so close to the Vaal and bordering the Bloemhof Dam, it is also a popular destination for fishing and other outdoor activities.

In the Daily Maverick’s reader survey on the best towns in South Africa, Bloemhof also scored top marks among towns in the North-West.

Respondents praised the town’s cleanliness, community, nature, safety and family features, flagging its municipality as its weakest feature.

According to the property analytics group, Lightstone, the town reflects the spirit of its citizens who “overcame adversity to renew community pride and rebuild their town”.

This is particularly impressive, considering it is not a wealthy town.

Only 7% of households earn more than R26,000 per month, and most homes are valued at less than R500,000.

The average bond value in Bloemhof is just under R380,000, less than a quarter of the average bond value of R1.7 million in the top town runner-up, Wilderness.

Municipality collapsing

Unfortunately for Bloemhof, its local and district municipalities are faltering severely.

Bloemhof falls under the Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District of the North West Province.

The local municipality covers four settlements, including Bloemhof, with the seat of the council in the neighbouring town of Christiana.

The local municipality has fallen victim to the same governance failures that have swept across the wider district municipality and many others in the North West.

Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs lambasted the municipality over its poor audit outcomes, flagging multiple financial irregularities.

At the time of its mid-term budget (December 2025), the municipality’s collections were only 57%, with over R400 million owed to the power utility Eskom.

The mayor reported continuing financial distress.

The issues have become apparent at a service delivery level, with the South African Human Rights Commission singling out the municipality for its failures in a November 2025 report—just months after Bloemhof’s crowning achievement.

According to the report, the wider Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality was one of many in the North West with service delivery failures so severe that they were deemed to violate human rights.

Specific to Bloemhof, the report flagged widespread water shortages, poor water quality, and sewage spillages.

This resulted in violations of residents’ rights to sufficient water and a healthy environment.

The problems have persisted into 2026, with the Democratic Alliance again flagging multiple issues in the local municipality.

The party noted infrastructure issues that pose safety risks to residents and failures at the sewer treatment plant, including maintenance backlogs and compliance risks.

Residents expressed frustration over persistent service delivery failures and slow municipal response times.

“Communities are increasingly being left without answers while conditions continue to worsen,” said DA councillor for the municipality, Theo Gerber.

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Images of deterioration at Lekwa-Teemane

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Images of Bloemhof

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