# 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
* 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