List of Places Named After People - Towns and Cities - South Africa

South Africa

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 - Baroness Gesina van Reede van Oudtshoorn
• 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 – Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
• Prince Alfred's Hamlet - Prince Alfred,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
• 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
• 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
• Joubertina - Rev W.A. Joubert
• King William's Town – King William IV of the United Kingdom
• Kirkwood - James Somers Kirkwood
• Lady Grey – Lady Eliza Lucy Grey
• Maclear – Thomas Maclear
• Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality – Nelson Mandela
• Philipstown - Sir Philip Wodehouse, governor of Cape Colony
• Port Alfred – Prince Alfred,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
• 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
• Jankempdorp - Gen Jan Kemp
• 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
• Reivilo - Rev A.J. Olivier
• Sutherland – Henry Sutherland, a pastor who established the church around which the settlement grew
• Upington – Thomas Upington
• Victoria West – Queen Victoria
• Warrenton - Sir Charles Warren
• Williston - Colonel Willis

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
• 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
• 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

• Colenso - Bishop John Colenso
• Durban – Sir Benjamin d'Urban
• Estcourt – Thomas Estcourt
• Greytown – George Edward Grey
• La Lucia – Lucia Michel
• Ladysmith – Lady Smith, wife of Sir Harry Smith
• Melmoth - Sir Melmoth Osborne, governor of Zululand
• Newcastle - Duke of Newcastle
• 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 – King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
• Port Shepstone – Theophilus Shepstone
• Richard's Bay – Frederick Richards
• Scottburgh - John Scott, lieutenant-governor of Natal

Limpopo

• Louis Trichardt – Louis Trichardt

Mpumalanga

• Balfour, Mpumalanga – 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
• Groblersdal - W.J. Grobler
• Machadodorp - General Jose Machado
• Nelspruit - Andries, Gert and Louis Nel
• Paulpietersburg – Paul Kruger and Petrus Jacobus Joubert
• 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 presient Marthinus Wessels Pretorius
• Coligny - Admiral Gaspard de Coligny

&Delareyville - General Jacobus de la Rey

• Klerksdorp – Jacob de Clerq
• 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