TOURIST INFORMATION
Brandfort Municipality 057 733 0106
Brandfort is a small town in central Free State, just 50km north-northeast of Bloemfontein on the R30, between Bloemfontein and Theunissen.
Jacobus van Zijl, a Voortrekker elder, established a church on his farm Keerom in 1866. The community was visited by Orange Free State president JH Brand &, shortly afterwards, the town was named in his honor.
In front of the main church in Brandfort, an angelic statue guards over the commemorative monument of the Voortrekkers' Great Trek. Like many of the nearby towns in the central Free State, Brandfort is an important mixed-farming centre.
Maize is the most important crop for farmers in this area, but cattle & sheep are also raised in the Brandfort area. The Anglo-Boer War concentration camp at Brandfort has always been dear to history buffs & tourists who wanted to learn more about this aspect of the South African history. But the discovery of a concentration camp, were black South Africans were also detained by the British invaders, gives Brandfort an even wider appeal.
For many years during Apartheid, Winnie Mandela, the ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, was exiled here & the house today is a museum.
For those folks who just love having a club in the hands, Brandfort offers an 18-hole course at the Brandfort Golf Club. Social lives in a small town like Brandfort revolve around church life & the schools, to a great extent. And the churches and schools of Brandfort very diligently ensure that there are numerous social gatherings for local residents to participate in.
