SA towns with an old-world charm you should visit

South Africa’s rich history is not only present in its major cities but also in its lesser-known historic towns, each with a unique story to tell.

Old-world charm in Marquard, Free State

Marquard is a small farming town situated in the Thabo Mofutsanyana region. It is one of the most appealing SA towns with an old-world charm. An influential Dutch Reformed minister, Minister JJ Marquard, founded it in 1905. He died on 18 December 1904 before the village was proclaimed. The authorities named the town after him for the prominent role he had played in establishing the town.

The little town has a lively and energetic community, known for its friendliness. Visitors are always welcome there and the residents take great pride in their well-kept town. Marquard is one of a few towns that still has a working mill, an old building well worth a visit.

The Dutch Reformed church and the gabled town hall were built from sandstone quarried in the district. The Marquard Hotel dates back to the early 1900s.

Ficksburg – small town, big charm

Another special location and one of the SA towns with an old-world charm, is Ficksburg in the Free State. Known as the nation’s cherry capital, Ficksburg, is a quaint mountain village close to Lesotho. It boasts remarkable sandstone architecture, including the country’s highest sandstone building, a mill beside a railway siding 20 kilometres from the town.

The small town of Arniston/Waenhuiskrans

Arniston is a village on the coast of the Overberg region in the Western Cape. Here, the traditions of generations of fishermen quietly carry on without interruption. Many locals earn their livelihood from the sea.

The name Arniston comes from the British transport/hospital ship that sank near the coast in 1815. The ship was carrying 378 passengers when it hit a reef, and only six passengers survived the ordeal. Today, Arniston is a popular destination for those seeking some peace and quiet.

Arniston is the only town in South Africa with two official names. Its Afrikaans name, Waenhuiskrans, means ‘wagon house cliff’. This name is thanks to the town’s remarkable natural feature, an enormous sea cave that is only accessible at low tide. Locals claim that the cave is so big that a wagon with a full span of oxen could turn around inside it.

Old-world charm in Baberton

Barberton, Mpumalanga, has its origin in the 1880s gold rush. It was the Johannesburg of its day in the 1800s, with people coming from far and wide hoping to become lucky on one of the many surrounding gold reefs. Barberton was officially declared a town in 1884. It was named after Graham Barber, who discovered one of the town’s rich gold-bearing reefs.

The old mining town is situated along South Africa’s 10th World Heritage Site, the Makhonjwa Mountains in the De Kaap Valley.

Barberton still has four working gold mines, which are more than 100 years old, in operation: the Agnes Gold Mine, the Fairview Gold Mine, New Consort Gold Mine, and Sheba Gold Mine. 

Legend has it that the surroundings of Barberton inspired Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, the author of Jock of the Bushveld. There is a statue of Jock in the town hall.