| Swartruggens | |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa North West#South Africa |
| Coordinates: | -25.65°N 68°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | North West |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Bojanala Platinum |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Kgetlengrivier |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 1875 |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 10.74 |
| Population Total: | 1969 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | White |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 52.3% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 39.5% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 5.5% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 1.8% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 0.8% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 57.4% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Tswana |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 21.9% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | English |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 14.1% |
| Demographics2 Title4: | Zulu |
| Demographics2 Info4: | 1.7% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 4.9% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal Code: | 2835 |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Postal2 Code: | 2835 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 014 |
Swartruggens is a small farming town in North West Province, South Africa that was established in 1875.
The town is located by the Elands River, 69 km east of the town of Zeerust, 56 km west of the city of Rustenburg and 34 km north-west of Koster. It is on the N4 road.[2]
It takes its name 'Swartruggens' from a series of hills there, formerly known as Zwartruggens, the Dutch name for 'black ridges'.[3]
The town of Swartruggens was founded in 1875 on the farm Brakfontein.
After the Siege of Mafeking, during the Second Anglo-Boer War, one of the supply depots was established by Robert Baden-Powell in Swartruggens, as he moved to Pretoria. [4]
A cemetery for British war dead from the Second Anglo-Boer War is located in the town.[5]