The town lies south of the Brak River, in a gap between the Soutpansberg and the Blouberg Range, some 72 km west of Louis Trichardt.

The name is thought to be derived from Sepedi phefo, ‘cold wind’, though it has been stated that the hills resemble the spelling of ‘Vivo’ when seen from a certain angle.

The main economic activities in the area are mining, farming and conservation.

The town once had a boarding school that hosted local farm children as well as various others from bigger cities as far as Johannesburg.

The town has a post office, a filling station and a small convenience store.