Ellisras

Lephalale Municipality is named after the local river, a tributary of the Limpopo River, which has been the source of life to the people of this area from time immemorial. Before the new dispensation, this Municipality was called Ellisras; derived from the combination of surnames of two Afrikaners, Patric Ellis and Piet Erasmus, who settled in this area in the 1830s.

The main cultural groups in Lephalale are Batswana, Bapedi and the Afrikaners. There are three chieftains in Lephalale, namely Mmakgosi Shongoane of Babididi ba ga Shongoane clan, Mma Laka of Mokuruanyane clan and Kgosi Seleka of Baphuting bo Seleka clan.