Sasolburg is a large industrial city situated in the northern region of the Free State province of South Africa. The city is the administrative seat of both the Metsimaholo Local Municipality and Fezile Dabi District Municipality.
The city lies 13 km south of Gauteng province and forms part of the Vaal Triangle (Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark, and Sasolburg) region.
Sasolburg is located approximately 331 km north-east from Bloemfontein (the provincial capital) and 82 km south-west of Johannesburg.
The city is situated on the southern banks of the Vaal River. The area lies at an altitude of approximately 1,500 meters above sea level. The average annual rainfall is 638 mm while the average maximum summer temperature is 26.9°C and the average minimum winter temperature is 16°C.
Most most black residents speak Sesotho as a first language, while most white residents of Sasolburg speak Afrikaans as a first language.
The town owes its existence to the petro-chemical industry as it was established in 1954 in order to provide housing and facilities for Sasol (South African Coal, Oil & Gas) employees. Sasolburg attained official town status in 1967. Its refinery is one of the only two viable coal-derived oil refineries in the world.
Interestingly enough, Sasolburg is a leader in environmental awareness as there is more flora in town than people. Sasolburg is exceptional in its wealth of trees. The city boasts almost 12,000 oak trees, including 26 different oak variants.
Sasolburg is located in the heart of worldly renowned coalfields. Apart from the internationally known SASOL “oil from coal refinery”, a vast number of by-products including olefins, waxes, alcohols, tar products, inorganic chemicals, rubber, gases, plastics, fertilizers, etc are manufactured in the area. Its refinery is one of the only two viable coal-derived oil refineries in the world.
