
Ventersdorp
Afrikaans name: Ventersdorp

Ventersdorp CBD
Photo © Johan van Zyl
North West
Ventersdorp is a small town in the North West province of South Africa. In 1866 a Dutch Reformed Church was established on a farm, named Roodepoort, owned by Johannes Venter. The town that grew around the church was named Ventersdorp after him.
The town is in the Vaal River valley which is a very fertile area and consequently a lot of crops are farmed in the area. There are large silos on the edge of the town. Over the years there has also been some diamond and gold mining in the area.
Ventersdorp is blessed with plenty of water. The 'Eye of the Schoonspruit' provides plenty of water throughout the year.
There are a number of attractions in the area including Swartrand Caves, Rietspruit Dam Resort, which offers great fishing, as well as Klerkskraal and Elandskuil Dams.
Amongst the historical sites of interest are a Water Mill built in 1866, a Boer fort, a memorial to Boer soldiers who died during the Anglo-Boer War, and the Boer women and children who lost their lives in concentration camps. In the Ventersdorp cemetery there is the 'Grave with eternal flowers'. It is the grave of an Irish soldier, named G. Shaw, who was executed by the British for assisting the Boer community. The tree near his grave is often in flower giving rise to the name.

Above - The road leading into Ventersdorp
Photo © Johan van Zyl

Above - Dutch Reformed Church (1912)
Photo © Johan van Zyl

Above - Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk (1912) - Ventersdorp
Photo © Johan van Zyl
References and further reading
On Route - Explore South Africa region by region - 3rd edition - Author: B.P.J. Erasmus - Published: 2014 - Page: 319The Pictorial Motoring Atlas of South Africa - Author: Maxwell Leigh - Published: 1987 - Page: 89
On Route - A region by region guide to South Africa - Author: B.P.J. Erasmus - Published: 1995 - Page: 214
Conollys Guide to Southern Africa - 2nd edition - Author: Denis Conolly - Published: 1982 - Page: 268
North West Info - Ventersdorp
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