List of places in South Africa named after people explained

There are many places in South Africa named after people.

Western Cape

• Albertinia – Johannes Rudolph Albertyn^[1]
• Athlone – Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
• Beaufort West – Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort
• Bellville – Charles Davidson Bell
• Bredasdorp – Michiel van Breda, later first Mayor of Cape Town
• Caledon – 2nd Earl of Caledon
• Calitzdorp – Calitz family
• Camps Bay (Cape Town) – Friedrich von Kamptz
• Clanwilliam – 1st Earl of Clanwilliam
• Darling – Charles Henry Darling, lieutenant-governor of Cape Colony
• Durbanville – Sir Benjamin d'Urban
• George – King George III of the United Kingdom
• Gordon's Bay – Robert Jacob Gordon
• Hermanus – Hermanus Pieters
• Hopefield – Col William Hope and William Field
• Ladismith – Lady Smith, wife of Sir Harry Smith
• Laingsburg – John Laing
• Lamberts Bay – Admiral Sir Robert Lambert
• Maitland, Cape Town – Sir Peregrine Maitland, governor of Cape Colony
• Malmesbury – 1st Earl of Malmesbury
• McGregor – Rev Andrew McGregor
• Milnerton – Sir Alfred Milner
• Montagu – John Montagu
• Moorreesburg – Rev Johannes Moorrees
• Murraysburg – Reverend Andrew Murray Snr
• Napier – Sir George Napier, governor of Cape Colony
• Oudtshoorn – Baron Pieter van Reede van Oudtshoorn, governor of Cape Colony
• Parow – Johann Heinrich Parow
• Plettenberg Bay – Baron Joachim Ammema van Plettenberg, governor of Cape Colony
• Porterville – William Porter, attorney-general of Cape Colony
• Prince Albert – Prince Albert
• Prince Alfred Hamlet – The Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria
• Riebeeck Kasteel – Jan van Riebeeck
• Riebeeck West – Jan van Riebeeck
• Riversdale – Harry Rivers
• Robertson – Rev Dr William Robertson
• Saldanha – Antonio de Saldanha
• Simon's Town – Simon van der Stel
• Somerset West – Lord Charles Henry Somerset, governor of Cape Colony
• Stellenbosch – Simon van der Stel, governor of Cape Colony
• Swellendam – Hendrik Swellengrebel and his wife Helena Ten Damme
• Tulbagh – Ryk Tulbagh, governor of Cape Colony
• Vanrhynsdorp – Petrus Benjamin van Rhyn
• Wellington – Duke of Wellington
• Wolseley – Viscount Wolseley
• Worcester – Marquess of Worcester

Eastern Cape

• Adelaide – Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
• Alexandria, Eastern Cape – Rev Alexander Smit
• Alfred Nzo District Municipality – Alfred Baphethuxolo Nzo
• Alice – Princess Alice, second daughter of Queen Victoria
• Aliwal North – Sir Harry Smith, 1st Baronet of Aliwal
• Balfour, Eastern Cape – Robert Balfour, secretary of the Glasgow Missionary Society
• Barkly East – Sir Henry Barkly
• Bedford – Duke of Bedford
• Butterworth – Joseph Butterworth
• Chris Hani District Municipality – Chris Hani
• Cradock – John Cradock, 1st Baron Howden
• Dias Division – Bartolommeo Dias
• Elliot – Henry George Elliot
• Fort Beaufort – Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort
• Graaff-Reinet – Cornelis van der Graaff and his wife Hester Reynet
• Grahamstown – John Graham
• Humansdorp – Johannes Jurie Human and Matthys Gerhardus Human
• Jansenville – Jan Willem Janssens
• Joe Gqabi District Municipality – Joe Nzingo Gqabi (1929–1981)
• Joubertina – Rev W. A. Joubert
• King William's Town – King William IV
• Kirkwood – James Somers Kirkwood
• Lady Grey – Lady Eliza Lucy Grey
• Maclear – Thomas Maclear
• Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality – Nelson Mandela
• OR Tambo District Municipality – Oliver Tambo
• Philipstown – Sir Philip Wodehouse, governor of Cape Colony
• Port Alfred – The Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria
• Port Elizabeth – Elizabeth Donkin (wife of acting governor Sir Rufane Shaw Donkin)
• Queenstown – Queen Victoria
• Richmond, Eastern Cape – Duke of Richmond
• Sarah Baartman District Municipality – Sarah Baartman (1789–1815)
• Seymour – Colonel Seymour
• Somerset East – Lord Charles Henry Somerset, governor of Cape Colony
• Steynsburg – Andries Steyn
• Steytlerville – Abraham Isaac Steytler
• Stutterheim – Baron von Stutterheim
• Uitenhage – Jacob Uitenhage de Mist

Northern Cape

• Barkly West – Sir Henry Barkly
• Calvinia – John Calvin, from its church dedicated to him
• Carnarvon – Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon
• Cathcart – Sir George Cathcart
• Colesberg – Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole
• Douglas – Lieutenant-General Sir Percy Douglas
• Frances Baard District Municipality – Frances Baard
• Jankempdorp – Gen Jan Kemp
• John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality – John Taolo Gaetsewe
• Kimberley – John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley
• Loxton – A.E. Loxton
• Molteno – John Charles Molteno, first prime minister of Cape Colony
• Port Nolloth – Captain M. S. Nolloth
• Pixley ka Seme District Municipality – Dr. Pixley ka Isaka Seme, one of the founders of African National Congress
• Reivilo – Rev A.J. Olivier
• Sutherland – Henry Sutherland, pastor who established the church around which the settlement grew
• Upington – Thomas Upington
• Victoria West – Queen Victoria
• Warrenton – Sir Charles Warren
• Williston – Colonel Willis
• ZF Mgcawu District Municipality – Z. F. Mgcawu (1958-2001), Upington's first post-1994 democratically elected mayor

Free State

• Allanridge – Allan Roberts
• Brandfort – Johannes Brand, state president of the Orange Free State
• Cornelia – Cornelia Mulder, wife of Francis William Reitz, president of the Orange Free State
• Dealesville – John Henry Deale
• Deneysville – Deneys Reitz
• Dewetsdorp – Jacobus de Wet, father of General Christiaan de Wet
• Fauresmith – Reverend Phillip Faure and Sir Harry Smith, 1st Baronet
• Fezile Dabi District Municipality – Fezile Abram Dabi (1956-1997)
• Harrismith – Sir Harry Smith, 1st Baronet
• Hennenman – P.F. Hennenman
• Hertzogville – James Barry Munnik Hertzog
• Hobhouse – Emily Hobhouse
• Kestell – Rev Dr J.D. Kestell
• Lindley – Rev Daniel Lindley
• Paul Roux – Dr Paul Roux
• Philippolis – Rev Dr John Philip
• Rouxville – Rev Pieter Roux
• Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality – Thabo Edwin Mofutsanyana (1899-1995)
• Viljoenskroon – Hans Viljoen and his horse 'Kroon'
• Villiers – Lourens de Villiers
• Warden – Charles Warden, administrator of the Orange River Sovereignty
• Zastron – Johanns sibella Zastron, wife of president Johannes Brand

Gauteng

• Alexandra – Alexandra Papenfus (wife of farmer)
• Benoni – the original name of the Biblical Benjamin
• Boksburg – W.E. Bok, state secretary of the South African Republic
• Carletonville – Guy Carleton Jones
• Johannesburg – Johannes Rissik; Johannes Meyer
• Krugersdorp – Paul Kruger
• Pretoria – Andries Pretorius
• Sharpeville – John Sharpe
• Vanderbijlpark – Hendrik van der Bijl

KwaZulu-Natal

• Cato Ridge – George Christopher Cato, the first mayor of Durban
• Colenso – Bishop John Colenso
• Durban – Sir Benjamin d'Urban
• Estcourt – Thomas Estcourt
• Greytown – George Edward Grey
• Harry Gwala District Municipality – Harry Gwala
• Hibberdene – C. Maxwell-Hibberd
• King Cetshwayo District Municipality – Cetshwayo kaMpande
• La Lucia – Lucia Michel
• Ladysmith – Lady Smith, wife of Sir Harry Smith
• Melmoth – Sir Melmoth Osborne, governor of Zululand
• Newcastle – Duke of Newcastle
• Paulpietersburg – Paul Kruger and Petrus Jacobus Joubert
• Pietermaritzburg – Two theories exist.
  • In the theory officially accepted today by the city, it bears the name of Voortrekker leaders Piet Retief and Gert Maritz.
  • In another theory, the city was originally named after Retief alone, initially "Pieter Mouriets Burg" (after his given names) and transformed to its current form.
• Pinetown – Sir Benjamin Pine, governor of Natal
• Port Edward – Edward VIII
• Port Shepstone – Theophilus Shepstone
• Richard's Bay – Frederick Richards
• Scottburgh – John Scott, lieutenant-governor of Natal
• Westville – Martin West, the first British lieutenant-governor of Natal

Limpopo

• Louis Trichardt – Louis Trichardt

Mpumalanga

• Balfour – Arthur James Balfour
• Barberton – Harry and Fred Barber, pioneer gold prospectors
• Breyten – Nicolaas Breytenbach
• Carolina – Carolina Coetzee, wife of the owner of the land on which the town was developed
• Evander – Evelyn Anderson
• Gert Sibande District Municipality – ANC activist Gert Sibande (1907-1987)
• Groblersdal – W.J. Grobler
• Machadodorp – General Jose Machado
• Nelspruit – Andries, Gert and Louis Nel
• Piet Retief – Piet Retief
• Standerton – A.J. Stander, owner of the farm on which the town was developed
• Trichardt – Carolus Johannes Trichardt, son of Louis Trichardt

North West

• Brits – Gert Brits, owner of the farm on which the town was developed
• Christiana – Christiana Pretorius, daughter of president Marthinus Wessel Pretorius
• Coligny – Admiral Gaspard II de Coligny
• Delareyville – General Jacobus de la Rey
• Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality – Kenneth Kaunda, First President of Zambia
• Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality – Ruth Mompati
• Klerksdorp – Jacob de Clerq
• Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality – Dr Silas Molema
• Potchefstroom – the first syllable comes from the surname of the town's founder Andries Hendrik Potgieter
• Schweizer Reneke – Captain Schweizer and Field Cornet Reneke
• Ventersdorp – Johannes Venter, owner of the farm on which the town was developed
• Wolmaransstad – J.M.A. Wolmarans
• Zeerust – Diederick Coetzee (the town was originally named 'Coetzee-Rust')

Former

• Ellisras (Limpopo) was the name of Lephalale – Patrick Ellis and Piet Erasmus (farm owners)
• Pietersburg (Limpopo) was the name of Polokwane – Petrus Jacobus Joubert
• Potgietersrus (Limpopo) was the name of Mokopane – Piet Potgieter
• Stanger (KwaZulu-Natal) was the name of KwaDukuza – William Stanger (Surveyor-General of Natal)
• Verwoerdburg (Gauteng) was the name of Centurion – Hendrik Verwoerd

Notes and References

1. SA Association of Municipal Employees (1983). 1983 Official South African Municipal Yearbook