Jacobsdal

Jacobsdal, Xhariep Region

Jacobsdal was a farm called Kalkfontein until the mid-1800's, when Christoffel Jacobs established it as a tiny town. Today, it remains a small farming community, just 154 kilometres outside of Bloemfontein in the Free State, but its history and the surrounding landscapes give Jacobsdal a charm that is quite special. It is only 15 kilometres from the border of the Northern Cape Province.

In terms of agriculture, this area is important, as it produces massive amounts of grapes, potatoes, lucern and ground nuts. There is a peanut butter factory here, as well as a number of processing plants and an abattoir. Jacobsdal maintains that it is the first town to have built a wine cellar outside of the Cape (known for its winelands). Landzicht is one of the two local wine farms, and is acclaimed the world over for its excellent wines.

This region was once the site of many battles between Boer and British, and the countryside is strewn with historical monuments and battle sites. Some of the attractions that simply cannot be missed include the British Block House (a fort and National Monument that was built in 1900), the Burger Monument (in memory of those who lost their lives in the Battle of Roodelaagte in 1899), Cairn - Heap of Stones (each Boer fighter engraved his name on a stone, which was then used to erect a monument before battle), the Jacobsdal Cemetery, and the Jacobs Farmhouse (the first dwelling ever built here).