Louis Trichardt (formerly Trichardtsdorp) is a town at the foot of the Soutpansberg mountain range in the Limpopo province of South Africa. It is named after the voortrekker leader Louis Tregardt. It is the centre of the Makhado Local Municipality, which comprises 16,000 km² with a total population of 270,000 (2001). Louis Trichardt is located in a fertile region where litchis, bananas, mangoes and nuts are produced. The national road N1 runs through the town. Louis Trichardt is 437 kilometres from Johannesburg and one hour's drive from the Zimbabwean border at Beitbridge. Louis Trichardt was known as Makhado for a short period (see below). Vleifontein, Elim, Tshikota, Madombidzha and Makhado Park surrounds the town at all directions. The mayor of the town is F.D. Mutavhatsindi.