Tlokwe Ruins

The Tlokwe Ruins represent the remnants of Sotho-Tswana settlements located on the hills surrounding Fochville in Gauteng, South Africa. Occupied for approximately 300 years, these ruins reflect a thriving community that engaged in agriculture, cultivating sorghum, maize, and cattle in the fertile valleys. The settlements featured villages and associated agricultural structures such as field systems and cattle pens. During the Difaqane, the area saw an influx of refugees, which, along with environmental pressures, led to the eventual relocation of the population. The site is significant for understanding the socio-economic dynamics of the Sotho-Tswana people before they were displaced by Mzilikazi in the 1820s. The Tlokwe Ruins provide insight into the adaptation and resilience of communities in the face of both natural and human-induced challenges in pre-colonial Southern Africa.