about us
Letaba Junction is a multi-level lodge and restaurant in Letsitele, Limpopo.
Established first as a Boereclub in 1954, Letaba Junction is rich in History and loved by locals. Junction has a lot to offer while sitting right on the Letaba river bank. Our premise has everything, from a mouth-watering Restaurant over looking the river, to luxury accommodation for that perfect break-away.
The original Boereclub was an integral part of the Letsitele Community for decades. Later on it was reinvented into the Junction. Adding a bed & breakfast and restaurant. In the early hours of Friday, 27 July 2018, a fire broke out that engulfed most of the Letaba Junction, nearly burning down years of memories to the ground, leaving the whole Letsitele community shocked and heartbroken. With the huge support Junction has from the community, we made big plans to rise from the ashes as the Letaba Junction you know today.
Our history
The Letsitele area and Junction has a rich history that we are proud of.
The town of Letsitele is named after the Letsitele River. The word ‘Letsitele’ is derived from a Northern Sotho word meaning ‘valley of the dead’, there are many tales as to why it is named Letsitele, the most relevant of them all is in those days malaria was a deadly threat in the valley. Today, malaria is no longer a problem due to Dr Siegfried Annecke’s major campaign to bring an end to this dreadful disease.
The name of the Letaba River was derived from the African word ‘Lehlaba’, which means Sandy River.
In the beginning- Letsitele town was just a siding, goods office, station and post office. Later on it developed into one of the prime agricultural areas of the South African lowveld.
It has produced impressive quantities of fruit and vegetables – citrus, bananas, mangoes, avocados, papaya, litchis, macadamia nuts, tomatoes and a wide array of other vegetables.
The export of many of these products has earned South Africa valuable foreign currency, while the production of these crops and the development of the valley created employment for many thousands of people. The conservation of water through the building of storage dams was an impressive contributory factor to the agricultural success of the valley.
The grounds on which Letaba Junction resides was originally the Boereclub of Letsitele.
Early 50’s – Msr B J Vorster donates two pieces of land, situated on the river banks, to the ‘boerevereniging’.
1954 – Construction of the ‘Boere’ club begins.
1986 – The club grows to around 60 members
Later on , to survive financially, they had to convert the ‘Boere’ club into a bed-and-breakfast with a Restaurant – known as Letaba Junction.
2018 – In the early hours of July 27th a fire broke out that destroyed most of the
Letaba Junction.
2019 – construction on a complete new Letaba Junction starts.
2019 – The renovated Junction, that you know today, reopen their doors in August.