Reitz, Free State
Reitz is a small maize, wheat and cattle farming town located in the east of the Free State province of South Africa. Town and township. The original town, Reitz, lies upon the northwestern hillside. On the opposite hill lies the town's township, Petsana. The population data of Reitz (as of the 2011 Census): Petsana's population data (as of the 2011 Census) is: Petsana is a mainly residential area with schools and small shops and businesses, but very few industrial work sites. Most of the working population either goes out daily to work on farms in  the area or they work in town. Reitz has an industrial area, most notably the steel and farming equipment construction company, Van Zyl's Staalwerke. Reitz is also home to the headquarters of the co-op group, VKB. The VKB Group is a modern, dynamic agricultural enterprise that has, since its establishment in 1919, continuously focused on accomplishing solutions for the changing and diverse needs of agricultural producers and related stakeholders. It addresses the basic needs for agricultural inputs, mechanization, handling and marketing of grain, financing and insurance. Another company that employs a lot of local workers is Grain Field  Chickens. A subsidiary of VKB Argiculture (Pty) Ltd, Grain Field is a technologically advanced abattoir, currently slaughting between 800 000 to 850 000 chickens per week. Economy and Farming. The town has one of the largest maize silos in the southern hemisphere and is a major maize growing community. History and Name. Founded in 1889, the town was previously known as Singer's Post, its name was changed to Amsterdam, and again to its current name Reitz after the Orange Free State president, Francis William Reitz. Location. Reitz is located in the north-eastern part of the Free State province , north-east of Bloemfontein and south of Johannesburg. It lies roughly halfway between the towns of Bethlehem and Frankfort, at an elevation of . Nearby towns. Here is a list of nearby towns and how far away they are in kilometers: