Graaff-Reinet
Sign in to saveGraaff-Reinet (; Xhosa: eRhafu; Khoe: !Xamdubu), officially Robert Sobukwe Town after a name change in February 2026, is a town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is the oldest town in the province and the sixth oldest town in South Africa, after Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Simon's Town, Paarl and Swellendam. The town was the centre of a short-lived republic in the late 18th century before being annexed into the Cape Colony. The town was a starting point for Great Trek groups led by Gerrit Maritz and Piet Retief and furnished large numbers of the Voortrekkers in 1835–1842.
Key facts
- Settlement.demographics1_title3
- White
- Settlement.name
- Graaff-Reinet
- Settlement.settlement_type
- Town
- Settlement.pushpin_map
- South Africa Eastern Cape#South Africa#Africa
- Settlement.subdivision_type
- Country
- Settlement.subdivision_name
- South Africa
- Settlement.subdivision_type1
- Province
- Settlement.subdivision_name1
- Eastern Cape
- Settlement.subdivision_type2
- District
- Settlement.subdivision_name2
- Sarah Baartman
- Settlement.subdivision_type3
- Municipality
- Settlement.subdivision_name3
- Dr Beyers Naudé
- Settlement.subdivision_type4
- Main Place
- Settlement.established_title
- Established
- Settlement.established_date
- 1786
- Settlement.leader_title
- Councillor
- Settlement.area_total_km2
- 203.62
- Settlement.elevation_m
- 750
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
20 sectionsContents
- History
- Geography
- Demographics
- Notable people
- Great Trek and Boer Republics
- Politics
- Sciences
- Sports
- Literature and the Arts
- Economics
- Other
- Coats of arms
- Drostdy
- Municipal (1)
- Municipal (2)
- Divisional council
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Graaff-Reinet (; Xhosa: eRhafu; Khoe: !Xamdubu), officially Robert Sobukwe Town after a name change in February 2026, is a town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is the oldest town in the province and the sixth oldest town in South Africa, after Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Simon's Town, Paarl and Swellendam. The town was the centre of a short-lived republic in the late 18th century before being annexed into the Cape Colony. The town was a starting point for Great Trek groups led by Gerrit Maritz and Piet Retief and furnished large numbers of the Voortrekkers in 1835–1842.
Graaff-Reinet is home to more national monuments than any other town or city in South Africa. It is also known for being a flourishing market for agricultural produce, noted for its mohair industry, and sheep and ostrich farming.