Sasolburg was initially developed in the 1950s, as a company town for Sasol Chemical Industries (then called Sasol 1) to meet the material and accommodation needs of skilled employees at Sasol. More widespread urban growth in and around the town was thus originally not encouraged and no provision was made to attract other industries to the area, other than those with a direct bearing on the Sasol group. This history has impacted on the town and means that the Sasolburg Magisterial District currently has very limited capacity to absorb new and diverse forms of investment.

Changes in the political dispensation of South Africa in the 1990’s resulted in an influx of people from rural areas into Zamdela. Availability of housing and land has become major concerns for Sasolburg’s Metsimaholo Local municipality. Although the Department of Housing and Local Government has granted funds for the upgrading of hostels into family units, the shortage of housing is still a problem for the local government to address and there is insufficient serviced land available. Informal dwellings have been set up as a way of resolving the accommodation issue.