| Vaalwater | |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa Limpopo#South Africa |
| Coordinates: | -24.2833°N 34°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Limpopo |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Waterberg |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Modimolle–Mookgophong |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 10.51 |
| Population Total: | 3964 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 87.4% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 0% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 0.25% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 12% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Sepedi |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 64.3% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 11.3% |
| Demographics2 Title4: | Tsonga |
| Demographics2 Info4: | 7,9% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Postal2 Code: | 8888 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 014 |
Vaalwater is a small town situated on the Mokolo River in the Limpopo province of South Africa.
The town, unlike other towns in the Limpopo province, is not located on a national road, of which the nearest one is at Nylstroom/Modimolle. It does however lie halfway on a road stretching from Nylstroom/Modimolle to Ellisras/Lephalale (the R33 Route). Nearby towns also include Hermanusdorings, Melkrivier, Palala and Naboomspruit.
thumb|left|200px|Sandrivier range of the central Waterberg, 15 km south of VaalwaterIt lies at the southern edge of the rugged Waterberg Massif, which is a biosphere that contains considerable biodiversity, including numerous large mammals (e.g. Giraffe, White Rhino, Blue Wildebeest). Waterberg is the first region in the northern part of South Africa to be named as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. The extensive rock formation was shaped by hundreds of millions of years of riverine erosion to yield diverse bluff and butte landform.[2]
Vaalwater is a popular jumping-off point for travels to the Waterberg Massif and Botswana and is itself becoming a minor destination for tourism. There are a variety of craft, art, and gift shops, as well as cafes and restaurants. Vaalwater is also home to some of the most magnificent game farms and eco-tourism in the country. Many of the game farms host the Big Five, and nature-lovers will find the mountains, bush and wildlife worth the visit.
Vaalwater has a number of commercial services not common for kilometres around, especially on roads leading to Botswana. These include banking, groceries, petrol and diesel, a post office, and doctors.
In 2006, Vaalwater was officially renamed Mabatlane, but reverted to Vaalwater in 2007 after it became evident that the proper renaming procedures had not been followed.