Lichtenburg is a town situated in North West Province of South Africa. It is the administrative centre of Ditsobotla Local Municipality.
The town was established in 1873 and was named by Transvaal President Thomas François Burgers, Lichtenburg (Town of Light). On the 13 March 1926, JacobusVoorendyk, discovered a diamond on his family farm and within 12 months there were 108,000 fortune seekers on the scene. The resulting diamond rush lasted ten years.
The main economic activity is the production of maize (corn). Lichtenburg lies in the heart of the maize triangle, which is the main maize growing area in South Africa. Another major economic activity is the production of cement. Within a radius of 80 km of Lichtenburg there are three major cement producers. This creates an opportunity for long distance transport and related activities.
Lichtenburg Diggings Museum
The theme of the museum is the alluvial diamant diggings of this region 1925-1935, then the richest public diggings in the world. The biggest pure red diamond (flawless) ("pigeon blood red") in the world was found here in 1927. The stone was of 33 carats (6.6 g). It was sold for 66 pounds and was later valued at $150,000. The stone would be worth more than $6 million today and is the purest red diamond in the world. The biggest diamond rush in history took place in March 1927 on the farm Grasfontein near Lichtenburg, when 25,000 runners took part to peg their claims. The town accommodates a Social-historical museum and an Agricultural museum with a big collection of antique tractors and many other interesting objects, and the new Digging Museum.
