List of places in South Africa named after people

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^[1]
Caledon – 2nd Earl of Caledon
Calitzdorp – Calitz family^[1]
Camps Bay (Cape Town) – Friedrich von Kamptz
Clanwilliam – 1st Earl of Clanwilliam^[1]
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^[1]
Hopefield – Col William Hope and William Field^[1]
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^[1]
McGregor – Rev Andrew McGregor^[1]
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^[1]
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^[1]
Wellington – Duke of Wellington
Wolseley – Viscount Wolseley
Worcester – Marquess of Worcester^[1]

Eastern Cape

Adelaide – Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Alexandria, Eastern Cape – Rev Alexander Smit^[1]
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^[1]
King William's Town – King William IV
Kirkwood – James Somers Kirkwood^[1]
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^[1]
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^[1]
Sarah Baartman District Municipality – Sarah Baartman (1789–1815)
Seymour – Colonel Seymour^[1]
Somerset East – Lord Charles Henry Somerset, governor of Cape Colony
Steynsburg – Andries Steyn^[1]
Steytlerville – Abraham Isaac Steytler
Stutterheim – Baron von Stutterheim^[1]
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^[1]
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^[1]
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^[1]
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^[1]
Brandfort – Johannes Brand, state president of the Orange Free State^[1]
Cornelia – Cornelia Mulder, wife of Francis William Reitz, president of the Orange Free State^[1]
Dealesville – John Henry Deale^[1]
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^[1]
Hertzogville – James Barry Munnik Hertzog^[1]
Hobhouse – Emily Hobhouse^[1]
Kestell – Rev Dr J.D. Kestell^[1]
Lindley – Rev Daniel Lindley^[1]
Paul Roux – Dr Paul Roux
Philippolis – Rev Dr John Philip^[1]
Rouxville – Rev Pieter Roux^[1]
Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality – Thabo Edwin Mofutsanyana (1899-1995)
Viljoenskroon – Hans Viljoen and his horse 'Kroon'^[1]
Villiers – Lourens de Villiers
Warden – Charles Warden, administrator of the Orange River Sovereignty^[1]
Zastron – Johanns sibella Zastron, wife of president Johannes Brand^[1]

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^[1]
Breyten – Nicolaas Breytenbach^[1]
Carolina – Carolina Coetzee, wife of the owner of the land on which the town was developed^[1]
Evander – Evelyn Anderson^[1]
Gert Sibande District Municipality – ANC activist Gert Sibande (1907-1987)
Groblersdal – W.J. Grobler^[1]
Machadodorp – General Jose Machado^[1]
Nelspruit – Andries, Gert and Louis Nel^[1]
Piet Retief – Piet Retief
Standerton – A.J. Stander, owner of the farm on which the town was developed^[1]
Trichardt – Carolus Johannes Trichardt, son of Louis Trichardt

North West

Brits – Gert Brits, owner of the farm on which the town was developed^[1]
Christiana – Christiana Pretorius, daughter of president Marthinus Wessel Pretorius^[1]
Coligny – Admiral Gaspard II de Coligny^[1]
Delareyville – General Jacobus de la Rey^[1]
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^[1]
Ventersdorp – Johannes Venter, owner of the farm on which the town was developed^[1]
Wolmaransstad – J.M.A. Wolmarans
Zeerust – Diederick Coetzee (the town was originally named 'Coetzee-Rust')^[1]

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

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay SA Association of Municipal Employees (1983). 1983 Official South African Municipal Yearbook

[myb83-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay SA Association of Municipal Employees (1983). 1983 Official South African Municipal Yearbook

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