Mahikeng, still commonly known as Mafikeng and previously Mafeking, is the capital city of the North West province of South Africa.
Close to South Africa's border with Botswana, Mahikeng is 1,400 km northeast of Cape Town and 260 km west of Johannesburg. In 2001 it had a population of 49,300. In 2007 Mahikeng was reported to have a population of 250,000, of which the CBD constituted between 69,000 and 75,000. It is built on the open veld at an elevation of 1,500 m, by the banks of the Upper Molopo River. The Madibi goldfields are some 15 km south of the town.