The University of the North was established in 1959. The university was sited at Turfloop farm about 40 kilometres (25 mi) east of Pietersburg.

The town that grew around the university was named Sovenga, for the three ethnic groups (Sotho, Venda, Tsonga)

​

The University of Limpopo is the result of a merger between the former Medical University of Southern Africa and the University of the North, which occurred on 1 January 2005.