Villiers, South Africa

Villiers
Villiers Show map of Free State (South African province) Villiers Show map of South Africa
Coordinates: 27°02′S28°36′E / 27.033°S 28.600°E / -27.033; 28.600
Country	South Africa
Province	Free State
District	Fezile Dabi
Municipality	Mafube
Established	1891 [1]
Area [2]
• Total	9.3 km2 (3.6 sq mi)
Population  (2011) [2]
• Total	17,315
• Density	1,900/km2 (4,800/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [2]
•  Black African	94.0%
•  Coloured	0.3%
•  Indian/Asian	0.3%
•  White	5.1%
• Other	0.2%
First languages (2011) [2]
•  Sotho	66.7%
•  Zulu	19.6%
•  Afrikaans	6.2%
•  Xhosa	2.2%
• Other	5.4%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	9840
PO box	9840
Area code	058

Villiers is a small town situated on the banks of the Vaal River next to the N3 highway in the Free State province of South Africa, on the border with Mpumalanga province. It is part of the Mafube Local Municipality. It was founded in 1882 on the two farms Pearson Valley and Grootdraai owned by Lourens de Villiers.

History

The town of Villiers is named after Lourens de Villiers on whose farms the town was first built. The town was established at the Vaal River crossing on the route between Durban and Johannesburg. The town was proclaimed by State President F.W. Reitz on 29 May 1891.

Notable people

• Theuns Stofberg ^[3]

References

1. Robson, Linda Gillian (2011). "Annexure A" (PDF). The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact (PhD thesis). University of Pretoria. pp. xlv–lii. hdl:2263/26503.
2. Sum of the Main Places Qalabotjha and Villiers from Census 2011.
3. "Theuns Stofberg (1955-) – Afrikanergeskiedenis" (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 2023-08-23.