Graaff-Reinet
Graaff-Reinet | |
|---|---|
| Robert Sobukwe Town | |
View of Graaff-Reinet Town Hall Valley of Desolation Fields near Graaff-Reinet | |
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Coat of arms | |
Graaff-Reinet Graaff-Reinet Graaff-Reinet | |
| Coordinates: 32°15′08″S 24°32′26″E / 32.25222°S 24.54056°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Eastern Cape |
| District | Sarah Baartman |
| Municipality | Dr Beyers Naudé |
| Established | 1786 |
| Area | |
• Total | 203.62 km2 (78.62 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 750 m (2,460 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 35,672 |
| • Density | 175.19/km2 (453.74/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Coloured | 62.18% |
| • Black African | 28.19% |
| • White | 8.74% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.47% |
| • Other | 0.42% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Afrikaans | 71.83% |
| • IsiXhosa | 17.89% |
| • English | 3.37% |
| • Other | 6.91% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 6286, 6280, 6281 |
| Area code | 049 |
Graaff-Reinet (Afrikaans: [ˌχrɑːf.rəˈnɛt]; 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.
In 2023, it was proposed for Graaff-Reinet to have its name changed (to be named after Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe). The name change to Robert Sobukwe Town was approved in January 2026 by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, although many residents have voiced their opposition to the change.