Motheo is a region within the Free State province of South Africa. Visit the official tourism website of the Free State http://www.freestatetourism.org   

"Motheo" is the Basotho word for "foundation" or "strong base of a building", a reference to the fact that this region lies at the centre of the Free State province.

In the middle of the region lies Bloemfontein, the provincial capital and the judicial capital of South Africa, as well as the business and cultural hub of the Free State. This is the place of enormous opportunities, where several political parties saw the light of day and where the population of the province come together to merge into a cosmopolitan community.

The ANC was formed in the region in 1912 in Mangaung at Wesleyan church close to where the power station is located today. At night, the city lights form a glow on the horizon as locals and visitors revel in the cultural and entertainment opportunities associated with city life.

But Motheo is not only the region where the provincial capital is located; it is also a region of golden fields of wheat and maize, where sheep and cattle graze. Game reserves and private farms where country lifestyle as well as game watching and hunting can be experienced make up the rest of the region. Imagine an area with a city, several small towns and farms where farmers welcome you into their homes and make you feel like one of the family.

Motheo region has busy social calendar throughout the whole region. Bloemfontein is popularly known for hosting Bloem Show, Bridal Show, Wheels Expo, Homemakers Expo, not forgetting the well known Macufe, Vuka Jazz festival, biannual folkloric festival, Rose festival and the adventurous Caledon 400 off road championships and the two Nations Sports festival held between Ladybrand and Maseru, the only sports festival where the marathon is ran from one country into another.

Visit national monuments, bushmen paintings, botanical gardens, museums of every sort from fire engines, rugby & toys to wars. Take in spectacular views across the Maloti Mountains to Lesotho as early settlers did. Follow fossil trails to sandstone caves where spiritual leaders healed the faithful.

If it’s adrenalin you seek, hurl yourself down white water rapids, abseil down Thaba Nchu mountain or 4x4 the roughest terrain in South Africa. Do all this and stay in the lap of luxury or rough it in campsites and backpackers. Finding good food is not difficult.

The restaurants are top quality. Try taverns, shabeens, cosy dinner venues and countryside lodges for traditional braais and potjiekos or cordon bleu cuisine rivaling the best. They’re all on offer. The locals love living here, come and see why.