Although it is predominantly mining area Steelpoort is not named for the metal mined in the area. The name, in fact, is the Afrikaans for “steal“, and it originated during the Voortrekker era, when someone stole two elephant tusks from a hunter named Frans Joubert. It must have been quite an event because it added two names to the atlas of southern Africa: Olifantspoort and Steelpoort.
The Triple Nickel
Several heavy-duty truck drivers who regularly haul chrome ore up and down its length have affectionately named the R555 between Middleburg and Ohrigstad the triple-nickel. The ‘triple’ stands for the three fives of the route number and for the chrome ore for the American five• cent piece. The route is known for the chrome mines on the fringes of the Sekhukhune Mountains of Lebowa.
