Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of
South Africa's three
capital cities and the capital of the
Free State province. It serves as the country's
judicial capital, along with
legislative capital
Cape Town and
administrative capital
Pretoria. Bloemfontein is the seventh-largest city in South Africa.
Situated at an elevation of above sea level, the city is home to approximately 520,000
residents and forms part of the
Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality which has a population of 747,431. It was one of the host cities for the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
.
The city of Bloemfontein hosts the
Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa, the Franklin Game Reserve,
Naval Hill, the
Maselspoort Resort and the
Sand du Plessis Theatre
The Sand du Plessis Theatre ( af, Sand du Plessis-teaterkompleks) is located on Markgraaff Street, Bloemfontein, South Africa. It is a large, multipurpose theater center opened on August 1, 1985 as the home of the Regional Council of Sukovs (Oran ...
. The city hosts numerous museums, including the
National Women's Monument, the
Anglo-Boer War Museum
The Anglo-Boer War Museum (also known as The War Museum of the Boer Republics) in Bloemfontein is the only museum in the world dedicated solely to the Anglo-Boer Wars of 1899 to 1902. The museum has a unique art collection, dioramas and exhibi ...
, the
National Museum
A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...
, and the
Oliewenhuis Art Museum
A Neo-Dutch style mansion was designed in 1935. Completed in 1941, this mansion located on Grant's Hill served as residence for the Governor General of the Union of South Africa from 1942.
In 1972, the building was officially named Oliewenhuis, ...
. Bloemfontein also hosts the first digital planetarium in the southern hemisphere, the Naval Hill Planetarium and
Boyden Observatory
Boyden Observatory is an astronomical research observatory and science education centre located in Maselspoort, north-east of the city of Bloemfontein in Free State, South Africa. The observatory is managed by the Physics Department of the Un ...
, an astronomical research observatory.
Bloemfontein is popularly and poetically known as "the city of roses", for its abundance of these flowers and the annual rose festival held there. The city's
Sesotho name is ''Mangaung'', meaning "place of
cheetah
The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...
s".
History
Early history
Though historically a
!Orana settlement, and then a
Boer settlement, Bloemfontein was officially founded in 1846 as a fort by
British Army major
Henry Douglas Warden
Henry Douglas Warden (2 February 1800 – 2 December 1856) was a British Resident of the Orange River Sovereignty from 1848-1852, bought the farm Bloemfontein from Johannes Nicolaas Brits.
He went to the Cape in 1819 and was sent to Natal in 184 ...
as a British outpost in the Transoranje region, at that stage occupied by various groups of peoples including !Orana (so-called "Korana" of the ǀHõaǁʼaes, ǀHũdiǁʼaes, Einiǁʼaes and others),
Cape Colony Trek Boers,
Griqua (at that time known as ''Baasters''), and
Barolong.
Warden originally chose the site largely because of its proximity to the main route to
Winburg, the spacious open country, and the absence of
horse sickness. Bloemfontein was the original farm of Johannes Nicolaas Brits born 21 February 1790, owner and first inhabitant of Bloemfontein. Johann – as he was known – sold the farm to Major Warden.
With colonial policy shifts, the region changed into the
Orange River Sovereignty (1848–1854) and eventually the
Orange Free State Republic (1854–1902). From 1902 to 1910 it served as the capital of the
Orange River Colony and since that time as the provincial capital of the
Free State. In 1910 it became the Judicial capital of the
Union of South Africa.
Orange Free State (1854–1902)

The
Orange Free State was an independent
Boer Republic in
southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Extending between the
Orange and
Vaal rivers, its borders were determined by the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1848 when the region was proclaimed as the
Orange River Sovereignty, with a seat of a
British Resident in Bloemfontein.
As the capital of the Orange Free State Republic the growth and maturing of the republic resulted in the growth of Bloemfontein. The city constructed numerous public buildings that remain in use today, facilitated by the governance of the republic and compensation from the British for the loss of the diamond rich
Griqua Land area. The old Orange Free State's presidential residence the
Old Presidency
The Old Presidency or Ou Presidensie (Afrikaans) is a museum, art gallery and theatre in the city of Bloemfontein, South Africa, located on President Brand Street in the heart of the city. The former residence of the President of the Republic of t ...
is currently a museum and cultural space in the city.
A railway line was built in 1890 connecting Bloemfontein to
Cape Town. The railway line provided a centrally located
railway station, and proved critical to the British in occupying the city later.
The writer
J. R. R. Tolkien was born in the city on 3 January 1892, though his family left
Orange Free State (now
Free State province, South Africa) following the death of his father,
Arthur Tolkien
The Tolkien family is an English family of German descent whose best-known member is J. R. R. Tolkien, Oxford academic and author of the fantasy books ''The Hobbit'', ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Silmarillion''.
Etymology
According to R ...
, when Tolkien was three (1895). He recorded that his earliest memories were of "a hot country".

In 1899 the city was the site of the
Bloemfontein Conference, which failed to prevent the outbreak of the
Second Boer War. The conference was a final attempt to avert a war between Britain and the
South African Republic. With its failure the stage was set for war, which broke out on 11 October 1899.
On 13 March 1900, following the
Battle of Paardeberg, the British captured the city and built a
concentration camp
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simp ...
nearby to house
Boer women and children. In 1913, the
National Women's Monument was constructed on the outskirts of the city to commemorate all Boer civilians which died in concentration camps during the war.
The hill in town was named Naval Hill after the
naval guns brought in by the British in order to fortify the position against attack.
Unionisation of South Africa (1910s)
On 31 May 1910, exactly eight years after the Boers signed the
Peace Treaty of Vereeniging that ended the Anglo-Boer War between the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading post ...
and two
Boer states, the
South African Republic (Republic of Transvaal) and the
Orange Free State, South Africa became a Union.
Due to disagreements over where the Union's capital should be, a compromise was reached that allowed Bloemfontein to host
Appellate Division and become the Union's judicial capital. Bloemfontein was also given financial compensation.
On 8 January 1912, the
South African Native National Congress (SANNC) was founded in Bloemfontein. The Union of South Africa had not granted rights to black South Africans, causing the organisation's creation. Its primary aim was to fight for the rights of black South Africans. During the implementation of
pass laws, the city saw major demonstrations that forced South African authorities to exempt women from them for nearly four decades.
From 1 to 9 January 1914,
James Barry Munnik Hertzog and his supporters met in Bloemfontein to form the
National Party of the Orange Free State, and to lay down its principles, following Hertzog's exit from the
South African Party in 1913. The National Party grew to govern South Africa in 1948 and implement the policy of
racial segregation known as
apartheid.
Apartheid era (1948–1994)
When the National Party won the
1948 South African national government elections they began implementing the policy known as
apartheid. The policy was built on separate development of ethnic groups and racial segregation was implemented. In Bloemfontein, residential segregation had begun in the 19th century with the passing of Ordinance 1 of 1860, which determined that no non-white, without written permission from the landlord (British government), had the right to occupy urban land in towns where local municipalities did not yet exist. On 3 June 1861, the council demarcated three locations in the following areas; the black population was to move to the area which lay to the right of a neighbourhood that was known as Kaffirfontein, Coloureds were to move to the
Waaihoek Black residential area on the eastern outskirts of the town. The inhabitants of these settlements had to pay the so-called hut tax as well as tax on grazing rights.
This laid the foundation for the implementation of residential urban segregation as envisaged by the architects of apartheid.
When the
South African
apartheid government passed the
Group Areas Act of 1950, the Bloemfontein municipality put into effect changes in the racial set-up of the city. The municipality demolished the Cape Stands residential area which was occupied by the city's
coloured population and moved the residents to
Heidedal
Heidedal is a suburb of the city of Bloemfontein in South Africa.
Education
* Petunia Secondary School
* Heatherdale Secondary School
* Dr. Blok Secondary School
* Heide Primary School
* Joe Solomon Primary School
* Olympia Primary School
* C ...
. However, due to Coloureds living in such close proximity with black people,
intermarriages across racial lines occurred, resulting in a partial mixed population in
Heidedal
Heidedal is a suburb of the city of Bloemfontein in South Africa.
Education
* Petunia Secondary School
* Heatherdale Secondary School
* Dr. Blok Secondary School
* Heide Primary School
* Joe Solomon Primary School
* Olympia Primary School
* C ...
and
Mangaung. In 1952 the Bloemfontein municipality began building new residential areas for the city's black population. New residential areas to separate ethnic groups such as
Sotho,
Xhosa and
Tswana were formed. The residential areas were jointly known as Mangaung.
Phahameng, a
Sotho township, was the first formal housing projects to be approved by the municipality in 1956. Physical buffers such as the railway line and roads were put into place to separate black ethnic groups, the white and coloured population. 11,000 housing structures, of which approximately 6,000 were government built rental accommodation, were erected in Mangaung between 1952-1968.
In 1968, Mangaung faced serious housing shortages when as many as 3,000 to 6,000 housing units were needed. To counter this problem, a 55 km eastward expansion called
Botshabelo was added in 1979. The Bloemfontein municipality channelled off all black urbanisation to
Thaba Nchu and Botshabelo, which were developed as a source of cheap labour for the city of Bloemfontein. A subsidised bus service was established, and Botshabelo was declared a decentralisation point, meaning it was designated to become an industrial development point in order to reduce the distance between place of employment and place of residence.
In 1988, an approximate 14,500 people were commuting on a daily basis between
Botshabelo and Bloemfontein. This meant that 55% of Botshabelo's work force was employed outside the city.
In 1994, after the disestablishment of the apartheid government, Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, and Thaba Nchu became part of
Motheo District Municipality. The
Motheo District Municipality was disestablished on 18 May 2011 and Mangaung was upgraded to become an autonomous metropolitan municipality with Bloemfontein as the main seat.
Since 1994
Until 1994 the city was the sole judicial capital of South Africa. It remains the seat for the
Supreme Court of Appeal (formerly the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court). It is also an administrative centre with many private hospitals and educational institutions.
Government
Free State Provincial Government building
Bloemfontein forms part of the
Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, which was upgraded from a
Local Municipality in 2011.
The Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality elects a municipal council for five-year periods, through a
mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) system in which wards elect individual councillors alongside those named from party lists. Voters get two votes: one for a representative to become a ward councillor and the other for a political party. The latter vote is used to distribute seats in the municipal council amongst parties while the former distributes seats through the individual representatives. The current Executive Mayor of Mangaung,
Olly Mlamleli, was elected in August 2016.
Geography and climate
Bloemfontein is located in central South Africa on the southern edge of the
Highveld at an elevation of , bordering on the semi-arid region of the
Karoo
The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hardveld") is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its ext ...
. The area is generally flat with occasional hills (''koppies'' in
Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans g ...
) and the general vegetation is
Highveld grassland. Bloemfontein experiences a
semi-arid climate (
Köppen: ''BSk''), with hot summer days and cooler, dry winters, often with frosts. Snow is rare but as recently as August 2006 it snowed in the city, with snowfalls occurring again at the airport on 26 July 2007.
Suburbs


Bloemfontein suburbs include
Heidedal
Heidedal is a suburb of the city of Bloemfontein in South Africa.
Education
* Petunia Secondary School
* Heatherdale Secondary School
* Dr. Blok Secondary School
* Heide Primary School
* Joe Solomon Primary School
* Olympia Primary School
* C ...
to the east and southeast,
Bain's Vlei
Bain's Vlei is a settlement on the road to Kimberley, situated 8 km west of Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State ( ...
,
Woodland Hills Wildlife Estate,
Brandwag,
Ehrlich Park,
Fauna,
Fichardt Park,
Fleurdal
Fleurdal is a suburb of the city of Bloemfontein in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South ...
,
Gardenia Park
Gardenia Park is a 90% white suburb of the city of Bloemfontein in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch a ...
,
Generaal De Wet,
Hospitaalpark
Hospitaalpark''
All the street names are named after people who contributed to medicine.
References
Suburbs of Bloemfontein
{{FreeState-geo-stub ...
, Kiepersol,
Lourier Park, Park West,
Pellissier,
Uitsig,
Universitas
''Universitas'' is a Latin word meaning "the whole, total, the universe, the world", or in Roman law a society or corporation; the latter sense is where the word university is derived from.
Universitas may also refer to:
* Universitas 21, an in ...
,
Westdene,
Wilgehof and
Willows to the south of the city. To the west of Bloemfontein, you will find
Langenhoven Park
Langenhoven Park is a large suburb in the city of Bloemfontein in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch alo ...
. To the north you will find
Arboretum
An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...
,
Baysvalley,
Bayswater
Bayswater is an area within the City of Westminster in West London. It is a built-up district with a population density of 17,500 per square kilometre, and is located between Kensington Gardens to the south, Paddington to the north-east, and ...
,
Dan Pienaar
Major General Daniel Hermanus Pienaar (27 August 1893 – 19 December 1942) was a South African World War II military commander.
Early life and career
He was born in Ladybrand, Orange Free State and in his youth grew up in Natal. His family ...
, Helicon Heights,
Heuwelsig
Heuwelsig is a suburb in the northern part of Bloemfontein, South Africa. It derives its name from the geography. This suburb is located on the slopes of mostly granite hills (or koppies). According to the 2011 national census it is a 75% white ...
, Hillsboro, Hillside, Hilton,
Naval Hill,
Navalsig,
Noordhoek, Pentagon Park, Panorama Park, and
Waverley. To the north east you will find Roodewal and Vallombrosa. The predominantly black suburbs are; Rocklands, Phahameng, Bloemside, Phelindaba, Bloemanda, JB Mafora, Bochabela and the most historic Batho where the Maphikela House (where the African National Congress started) is situated. To the east of Bloemfontein, Botshabelo and Thaba 'Nchu townships are situated.
Sports
Stadium

The
Free State Stadium and the surrounding
sports complex is the main sports venue in the city and province. The venue was the hosting stadium of the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
South Africa matches played in Bloemfontein. There are several other
sports venues in the city, however, including facilities belonging to the university, schools and sports clubs. Other stadiums in the city are
Mangaung Oval,
Dr. Petrus Molemela Stadium
Dr. Petrus Molemela Stadium, formerly known as Seisa Ramabodu Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Bloemfontein, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches and was utilized as a training field for teams participati ...
and
Clive Solomons Stadium.
Football
Bloemfontein is joint home (together with nearby
Botshabelo) to
Premier Soccer League team
Bloemfontein Celtic
Bloemfontein Celtic Football Club (simply known as Celtic) is a South African amateur football club based in Bloemfontein that competes in the ABC Motsepe League, the third tier of the South African football league system. Bloemfontein Celtic has ...
. Some of the matches of the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
were played at the Free State Stadium, including the historic 4–1 defeat of England by Germany in the
round of 16
Rugby
Bloemfontein's
Free State Stadium is home to two
rugby union teams; the
Cheetahs who compete in the
Pro 14 and the
Free State Cheetahs
The Free State Cheetahs (formerly the Orange Free State), currently named the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, for sponsorship reasons, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by th ...
who play in the domestic
Currie Cup. The Free State Cheetahs won the Currie Cup in 2005 against the
Blue Bulls, they drew the final with the Blue Bulls in 2006 and retained the Currie Cup title in 2007 by beating the
Golden Lions
The Golden Lions (currently known as the Sigma Golden Lions for sponsorship reasons) is a South African professional rugby union team based in Johannesburg who compete in the annual Currie Cup and Rugby Challenge. The team is governed by the ...
resulting in the Cheetahs remaining Currie Cup champions until 2008 when the failed to make the final for the first time since 2004. 2009 saw the Cheetahs return to the Currie Cup final but they were unable to beat the Blue Bulls at
Loftus Versfeld. In 2016 the Cheetahs won the Currie Cup after a perfect season, beating the Blue Bulls at home in Bloemfontein.
Cricket
The
Knights cricket team representing the Free State and Northern Cape in various series is located at
Mangaung Oval, part of the Free State Stadium complex. Bloemfontein features as a regular venue for touring international and local cricket teams.
Soaring
The town has one of the most active
soaring communities in South Africa and the world, using the
New Tempe Airport
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
, north of Bloemfontein.
Motor sports
Bloemfontein has a
motocross track (tempe) run by the Bloemfontein Off Road Club, as well as a
go-kart circuit (M&F Raceway), which was closed down in early 2015.
Shooting sports
Bloemfontein has a comprehensive shooting centre south of the city, offering most forms of shooting including various clay target, pistol and rifle disciplines. Bloemfontein's shooting sport community has produced many provincial and national representatives over the years.
Metallic Silhouette Shooting
Bloemfontein's Metallic Silhouette Shooting Range is one of the top
metallic silhouette shooting range
A shooting range, firing range, gun range or shooting ground is a specialized facility, sports venue, venue or playing field, field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice or shooting sport, competitions. So ...
s in the world. Three
IMSSU international championships have been held here :

* 2004 6th IMSSU World Championships
* 2006 7th IMSSU World Championships
*2016 12th IMSSU World Championships
Rock climbing
Bloemfontein has two rock climbing clubs, each with a wall and boulder cave.
Rose Festival
Every year Bloemfontein, the 'City of Roses', celebrates the 'Bloemfontein Rose Festival', known also as the 'Mangaung Rose Festival', in October—the cool month in which roses in the Free State bloom best.
The majority of the events happen at the Loch Logan Waterfront in Bloemfontein.
The festival attracts rose enthusiasts from all over South Africa and the world to participate in and experience this grand showcase of roses and other local events and attractions.
The festival has made Bloemfontein a popular tourist destination with thousands of people attending the festival annually.
History of the Rose Festival
The first rose festival first took place in 1976, when council members decided that hosting such a festival was appropriate, given the area's name. In 1976 the events spanned over a few days and included activities related to roses in the
Sanlam Plaza. Since then, the rose festival has expanded and grown to meet the needs and interests of the public.
Activities
Horticulturalists are invited to take part in competitions that focus on designing and improving unkempt gardens around the city.
Festival activities take place in private gardens all over Bloemfontein, as local residents of the city open their gardens to the general public.
Loch Logan Waterfront
Most festival activities take place at the Loch Logan Waterfront, the largest shopping centre in central South Africa. It spans about 80 000 m
2 of space and is the hub of shopping, entertainment, sport and culture in Bloemfontein. The waterfront displays flowers created by local nurseries as well as the official municipal display created by the parks department, which is organised by the Mangaung Municipality.
The Free State Rose Society's champion Rose Cut Competition, with approximately 700 entrants every year, is also hosted at the Waterfront, along with the Miss Volksblad Rosebud competition for girls aged 3–4 years old, organised in conjunction with the
Volksblad daily newspaper.
Rose Morning High Tea
The Rose Morning High Tea usually occurs at the Urth Garden Centre where tea and treats are served. The Urth Garden Centre is a retail and wholesale nursery that is located on Kenneth Kaunda Road in Bloemfontein. The crowning of the King and of Mangaung in the year of nomination.
Mangaung Rose Classic Cycle Tour
The Mangaung Rose Classic Cycle Tour is a road race that happens during the festival every year. The event is organised by AfriCycle Tours and the dates are announced annually. The race starts at the Urth and the race distances include 22 km, 56 km and 106 km.
Let's Green Bloem Expo
This expo forms part of the Mangaung/Bloemfontein Rose Festival and gives 'green' and organic local businesses an opportunity to promote their businesses. This includes showcasing different products and services that support a green environment, such as solar power, grey water systems, vegetable tunnels, JoJo tank systems, etc.
Basic education
Bloemfontein houses many institutions of learning, from pre-schools to universities and colleges. Classes are taught in different languages from school to school, with some schools even teaching all their classes in two languages. The languages are predominantly
Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans g ...
, English, and
Sesotho.
Primary education
*
St. Andrew's Primary School
*
Grey College Primary School
Secondary education
*
St. Andrew's School
*
Grey College
*
Eunice High School
Eunice High School is a public high school located in Eunice, in the far western end of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is operated by the St. Landry Parish School Board. Eunice High graduated its first class in 1910; the current bu ...
(Bloemfontein)
*
Bloemfontein High School
Bloemfontein High School (Afrikaans: ''Hoërskool Bloemfontein'') is a secondary school in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is ...
*
Hoërskool Fichardtpark
Hoërskool Fichardtpark is a public Afrikaans medium co-educational high school situated in the suburb of Fichardtpark in Bloemfontein in the Free State province of South Africa, It is one of the top and most academic schools in the Free St ...
*
Hoërskool Jim Fouché
Hoërskool Jim Fouché is a public Afrikaans medium co-educational high school situated in the suburb of Gardeniapark in Bloemfontein in the Free State province of South Africa. It is one of the top academic schools in the Free State. It was fo ...
*
Hoërskool Sand du Plessis
Hoërskool Sand du Plessis is a secondary school in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa. This public high school was founded in 1970, when it split off from the lower school. Both boys and girls are taught here.
*
St. Michael's School
*
Hoërskool Sentraal
Sentraal High School is a public high school in Bloemfontein in the Free State province of South Africa.
History
On 26 August 1905, the Free Christian School (Vrije Christelike School) was established under the roof of the Reformed Churc ...
Tertiary education
Public tertiary institutions
*
University of the Free State
*
Central University of Technology
There is a Further Education and Training College called Motheo FET College which comprises three main campuses (Thaba N'chu, Hillside view and Bloemfontein) and the satellite campuses in Zastron, Philippolis and Botshabelo.
Economy
The private sector mainly drives Bloemfontein's economy. Bloemfontein’s share of National GDP, employment, and population is the lowest among the benchmark group of South African and Southern African cities, falling just below the city of
Port Elizabeth
Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...
. The city’s share of the National GDP is 1.73%, with a share of national employment at 1.86% and a share of the national population at 1.67%. Bloemfontein’s GDP growth, at 0.57% in 2015, stood in the lower half of the benchmark group of cities. Along with other major cities in South Africa, Bloemfontein’s GDP growth has slowly decreased in recent years.
Some of South Africa's largest retail companies have headquarters in the city.
Major companies
The city is home to two of South Africa's top construction and infrastructure companies. Raubex Group Ltd, established in 1974 and listed on the
JSE Limited since March 2007 and Ruwacon (Pty Ltd), established in 1999.
Other major companies included the retail department store, Kloppers, establishment in 1967 and EconoFoods (Pty Ltd) established in 1996.
Hospitals and clinics
* Mediclinic Bloemfontein, the biggest hospital in the Mediclinic private hospital group opened its doors in July 1990.
* Life Rosepark Hospital
* National District Hospital
* Universitas Academic Hospital
* Pelenomi Academic Hospital
* Busamed Bram Fischer Private Hospital
* EmoyaMed Private Hospital
Entertainment
* Windmill Casino and Entertainment World
* Southern Sun Casino
* Andre Huguenot theatre
*
Sand du Plessis Theatre
The Sand du Plessis Theatre ( af, Sand du Plessis-teaterkompleks) is located on Markgraaff Street, Bloemfontein, South Africa. It is a large, multipurpose theater center opened on August 1, 1985 as the home of the Regional Council of Sukovs (Oran ...
Queen of Roses also happens during this event. The competition recognizes citizens of the City of Bloemfontein for contributions that go beyond their normal duties to enrich the Mangaung Metro. Nominees need to be citizens.
Media
*
Dumelang Media
Newspapers
* ''
Dumelang News - The People's Paper''
* ''
Free State Times
Free may refer to:
Concept
* Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything
* Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism
* Emancipate, to procure ...
''
* ''
Volksblad''
* ''
Ons Stad'' Closed down
* ''
Bloemnuus''
* ''
The Weekly''
* ''
Courant
Courant may refer to:
* '' Hexham Courant'', a weekly newspaper in Northumberland, England
* ''The New-England Courant'', an American newspaper, founded in Boston in 1721
* ''Hartford Courant'', a newspaper in the United States, founded in 1764
*C ...
''
Radio
*
OFM
*
Kovsie FM
*
Lesedi FM
*
Motheo FM
*
Radio Rosestad
Radio Rosestad 100.6 FM (City of Roses) is a South African community-based radio station based in Bloemfontein, South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Afric ...
*
Motsweding FM
Motsweding FM is an SABC radio station based in Mahikeng, South Africa, broadcasting mainly in Tswana language. Formerly known as Radio Tswana, the country-wide broadcast station evolved from a Bophuthatswana Broadcasting Corporation, which ha ...
*
CUT FM
*
Med FM
Transport
Road
Bloemfontein's national and regional roads are as follows: The
N1, a major highway running roughly SE to NW from
Cape Town to
Johannesburg and
Zimbabwe largely bypasses this city to the west. The
N8 runs east/west connecting Bloemfontein to
Kimberley
Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to:
Places and historical events
Australia
* Kimberley (Western Australia)
** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley
* Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania
* Kimberley, Tasmania a small town
* County of Kimberley, a ...
and
Maseru, the capital of
Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...
. Bloemfontein is also the northern end of the
N6 road heading roughly southwards to the port of
East London
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...
.
There are also two two-digit R routes: the
R64, which is the old road to Kimberley, via
Dealesville and
Boshof. It ends at the N1. The
R30 ends at the N1 north of the town. It is the road to
Welkom.
Three other three-digit R routes have their origin in Bloemfontein. The
R706 takes origin from the N8 in the city centre, and heads south-west towards
Jagersfontein and
Fauresmith. The
R702 also originates from the N8 in the city centre, but heads south-east towards the towns of
Dewetsdorp and
Wepener. The third road, the
R700, starts in the city centre from the N8 and heads north crossing the N1 towards
Bultfontein.
Below that level, Bloemfontein has a number of metropolitan or
M roads. These roads are numbered independently of M-roads in other South African cities.
Rail
Bloemfontein is well connected with
rail. It is located on the most important
rail junction between
Johannesburg and
Cape Town, with daily trains to
Port Elizabeth
Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...
,
East London
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...
and
Johannesburg.
Air
Bloemfontein has two
airports
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...
New Tempe Aerodrome and
Bram Fischer International Airport.
New Tempe Aerodrome has no scheduled flights, it is used as a training facility for aviators and schools.
Bram Fischer International Airport has scheduled flights to all South Africa's major cities.
Public transport
In October 2016, the Mangaung Metropolitan and various taxi associations reached an agreement on the Integrated Public Transport system which is currently under construction. The project consist of two phases, the first phase will see the construction of bus ways along the Metropolitan. The second will be the building of depot and stations.
Notable people
Many famous people are associated with Bloemfontein; these include:
Rugby players
*
François Steyn
François Philippus Lodewyk Steyn (born 14 May 1987) is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the South Africa national team and Cheetahs (rugby union) in Pro 14. He usually plays at inside centre, fullback ...
,
rugby player
*
Juan Smith
Juanne Hugo Smith (born 30 July 1981) is a South African former professional rugby union player who represented South Africa in international test rugby, the Cheetahs in the Super Rugby competition, and the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup ...
,
rugby player
*
Os du Randt,
rugby player
*
Chris Dry,
South Africa national rugby sevens team player
*
Naka Drotske,
rugby player
*
Brendan Venter
Brendan Venter (born 29 December 1969), is a South African general practitioner and rugby union coach and former player. Venter played at centre and earned 17 caps for South Africa between 1994 and 1999.
He played as a replacement in the 1995 R ...
,
rugby player
*
Andre Joubert,
rugby player
*
Andre Venter,
rugby player
*
Ruben Kruger,
rugby player
*
Ollie Le Roux,
rugby player
*
Coenie Oosthuizen
Coenraad Victor Oosthuizen (born 22 March 1989), nicknamed 'Coenie' or 'Shrek',http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/rugby/article1067479.ece/30-Seconds-with-Cheetahs-prop-Coenie-Oosthuizen TimesLive: 30 Seconds with Cheetahs prop Coenie Oosthuizen ...
,
rugby player
*
Jannie de Beer,
rugby player
Cricket players
*
Allan Donald
Allan Anthony Donald (born 20 October 1966) is a South African former cricketer who is also the current bowling coach of Bangladesh national cricket team. Often nicknamed 'White Lightning' due to his lightning quick bowling, he is considered ...
, South African
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
er
*
Hansie Cronje, controversial South African
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
captain
*
Morne van Wyk, played for South Africa Proteas Cricket team
*
Kepler Wessels, test cricketer with Australia and South Africa
Football players
*
Willem Jackson
Willem Jackson (born 26 March 1972 in Bloemfontein, Free State) is a retired South African footballer who played as defender. A fullback capable of lining up on either flank, he played mostly for Bloemfontein Celtic and Orlando Pirates.
Jack ...
played for Bloemfontein Celtic and
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national soccer team represents South Africa in men's international Association football, soccer and it is run by the South African Football Association, the governing body for Soccer in South Africa. The team's nickname is Baf ...
.
*
Vuyo Mere plays for
Moroka Swallows
Moroka Swallows Football Club (often known as simply Swallows or The Birds) is a South African professional football club based in Soweto in the city of Johannesburg in the Gauteng province.
Founded in 1947, Swallows are one of the original two ...
.
*
Thabo Nthethe
Thabo Benett Nthethe (born 3 October 1984 in Bloemfontein) is a retired South African football defender. He represented South Africa and played for Mamelodi Sundowns and was the captain of Bloemfontein Celtic
Bloemfontein Celtic Football ...
played for Bloemfontein Celtic,
Mamelodi Sundowns,
Chippa United
Chippa United Football Club (often known as Chilli boys or Chippa) is a South African professional football club based in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape province, having previously being based in Nyanga suburb of the city of Cape Town. The club's ...
and South Africa national football team.
*
Thembinkosi Lorch
Thembinkosi Lorch (born 22 July 1993) is a South African professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder for Orlando Pirates and the South African national team. He was named the South African Player of the Season and Players' P ...
plays for
Orlando Pirates and South Africa national football team.
*
Kgotso Moleko
Kgotso Moleko (born 27 August 1989) is a South African professional soccer player who last played as a right-back for Amazulu in the South African Premier Division
The South African Premier Division, officially referred to as the DStv Prem ...
plays for
Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs Football Club (often known as Chiefs) are a South African professional football club based in Naturena, Johannesburg South, that plays in the Premier Soccer League. The team is nicknamed ''AmaKhosi'', which means "Lords" or "Chie ...
.
Musicians
*
Leon Schuster, filmmaker, comedian and musician, born and schooled in Bloemfontein
*
Shaun Morgan and
Dale Stewart, musicians and founding members of the band
Seether
Seether are a South African rock band founded in 1999 in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The band originally performed under the name Saron Gas until 2002, when they moved to the United States and changed it to Seether to avoid confusion wit ...
*
Coenie de Villiers
Coenie de Villiers (Coenraad Grabe de Villiers), born 11 October 1956, is a South African singer-songwriter, pianist, pop artist who sings in his mother tongue, Afrikaans. If any comparison was required, Coenie's music is best compared to the p ...
, Afrikaans musician and songwriter
*
Brendan Peyper, Afrikaans musician and songwriter
Actors / Directors
*
Leon Schuster, filmmaker, comedian and musician, born and schooled in Bloemfontein
*
Tony Kgoroge, South African actor, performances in movies including ''
Hotel Rwanda'', ''
Blood Diamond
''Blood Diamond'' is a 2006 American political war action thriller film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly, and Djimon Hounsou. The title refers to blood diamonds, which are diamonds min ...
'', ''
Invictus'', ''
Lord of War'' and ''
Skin''
Other
*
J. R. R. Tolkien CBE was born in Bloemfontein on 3 January 1892. Tolkien is famous for creating the ''
Legendarium'' fantasy epics, ''
The Hobbit'', ''
The Lord of the Rings'' and ''
The Silmarillion''. When aged 3, Tolkien left South Africa for England.
*
Ryk Neethling, Olympic gold medalist swimmer
*
Zola Budd, international long-distance athlete, born in the city and attended Sentraal High School
*
Gerrit Badenhorst
Gerrit Badenhorst (born 10 October 1962) is a former WPC world champion powerlifter and professional strongman competitor from South Africa.
Powerlifting
Badenhorst was born on 10 October 1962 in De Aar, Northern Cape, South Africa.David ...
, a powerlifter and strongman competitor.
*
Karla Pretorius, Protea and international netball player, attended the
*
Frans Claerhout
Frans Claerhout (15 February 1919 – 4 July 2006) was a Belgian painter who spent most of his adult life in South Africa.
Biography
Claerhout was born in Pittem, West Flanders in 1919, and moved to South Africa as a missionary for the Catho ...
, artist.
*
Gert Coetzer, rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s
*
Beric John Croome, Advocate of the
High Court of South Africa
*
Winkie Direko
Isabella Winkie Direko (27 November 192917 February 2012) was a South African politician born in the Free State province of South Africa. She was a member of the African National Congress and served as Premier of the Free State from 1999 to 2004 ...
, first black chancellor of the
University of the Free State
*
Lizzie van Zyl
Elizabeth Cecilia van Zyl (; 22 April 1894 – 9 May 1901) was a South African child inmate of the Bloemfontein concentration camp who died from typhoid fever during the Second Anglo-Boer War.
Background
Lizzie and her mother (Elizabeth Ce ...
, Child inmate of the Bloemfontein concentration camp during the
Second Boer War
* Dr
John Vernon Harrison FRSE
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
geologist, was born here
*
Flaxman Qoopane, writer
*
Billy Modise
Billy Modise was an African National Congress (ANC) veteran and former ambassador. He was born on 18 December 1930 in Bloemfontein and died on 20 June 2018.
Early life
Billy Modise was born on 8 December 1930 in Bloemfontein, Orange Free Stat ...
*
Elzabe Rockman
Elizabeth Cornelia "Elzabe" Rockman (born 20 April 1967) is a South African African National Congress politician who served as the Member of the Executive Council for Finance during the premierships of Ace Magashule and Sisi Ntombela. She was f ...
, former Free State MEC for Finance
Religion
Bloemfontein has a large and diverse Christian population. The city houses several churches and denominations:
* It is the seat of the
Anglican Diocese of the Free State
The Diocese of the Free State is a diocese in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.
History
The first service North of the Orange River to be taken by an Anglican clergyman was conducted in 1850 by † Robert Gray, the first Bishop of Cape Town. ...
* Afrikaans
Baptist Church
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
(Afrikaans: ''Afrikaanse Baptiste Kerk'')
*
Dutch Reformed Church (Afrikaans: ''Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk'')
*
Sacred Heart Cathedral Sacred Heart Cathedral may refer to:
Africa
*Sacred Heart Cathedral, Moundou, Chad
*Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bamako, Mali
*Sacred Heart Cathedral, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
*Sacred Heart Cathedral, Freetown, Sierra Leone
*Sacred Heart Cathedra ...
in Bloemfontein is the seat of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bloemfontein
*
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...
, Southern African headquarters.
*
Christian Revival Church, is the largest church in Bloemfontein with over 30,000 members. CRC's net is widely cast and is established in Bloemfontein, Pretoria and Johannesburg along with 90 national and international CRC Churches worldwide, executing the mission of "One Church, Many Locations" throughout South Africa, Europe, America & Australia. The church is led by Pastor At Boshoff, together with his wife Nyretta.
*
New Covenant Ministries International
New Covenant Ministries International (NCMI) is an international Neo-charismatic Christian church network founded by Dudley Daniel in South Africa in the early 1980s, currently led by Tyrone Daniel, and active in about 100 countries. NCMI define ...
had a church called Fountainhead led by Chris Gerber. It was a New Testament Church known by the name Fountainhead Church International. Later this church merged with
Doxa Deo Bloemfontein, which is now the name of the combined church.
The city also has a large Jewish population, which was established during the mid-19th century.
There are two main cemeteries in Bloemfontein:
* The Old Cemetery: Over 1,000 names from the three cemeteries. Old: The oldest of the three cemeteries, dating from 1871, is simply a small fenced off area of a public cemetery near the city centre. It includes a few graves of several Jewish pioneers involved in the early days of the city who died serving on either side in the Boer War, 1899–1902. Each of the thirty or so tombstones of these pioneer families has been completely transcribed.
* South Park: This cemetery was consecrated in 1978 and now includes more than 10 000 graves and is the biggest cemetery in the Free State.
On 7 October 2010, Several tombstones in the
Jewish cemetery
A Jewish cemetery ( he, בית עלמין ''beit almin'' or ''beit kvarot'') is a cemetery where Jews are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition. Cemeteries are referred to in several different ways in Hebrew, including ''beit kevarot'' ...
in Bloemfontein were defaced with
swastika
The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...
s and antisemitic graffiti.
On 10 April 2012, Bloemfontein's historic Memorium cemetery was vandalized, with 35 tombstones toppled and obscene graffiti daubed on the walls of the adjoining Ohel. The graffiti included images of money bags and diamonds, as well as of a crudely drawn
Magen David, allegedly as part of an anti-Semitic act.
There is also the old Phahameng cemetery which dates back to the 1960s and was specifically reserved for Africans during the
apartheid era and has a Heroes Acre, where freedom fighters are laid to rest.
The Heide Heights cemetery in Heidedal was reserved for coloured people during the apartheid era but all races could bury their dead after 1994. This cemetery has been closed due to it being full.
Community service organisations
Round Table 158 BloemfonteinThe first
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that e ...
was formed in
Norwich, England in 1927. The founder,
Louis Marchesi
Erminio William Louis Marchesi (19 January 1898 – 10 December 1968) founded the Round Table, an international fellowship and community charitable organisation for young men.
His mother was born in England to Irish parents and his father was Swi ...
, was a young member of Norwich Rotary Club who felt a need existed for a club where the young business men of the town could gather on a regular basis. At their meetings they could exchange ideas, learn from the experiences of their colleagues and play a collective part in the civic life of Norwich. From a very early stage it was agreed that Round Table would be a non-religious, non-political club and this has continued to this day.
Child Welfare BloemfonteinChild Welfare Bloemfontein & Childline Free State is a non-profit organisation that was founded in 1914 by a group of volunteers who identified a need for welfare services among the community. In 2004, Child Welfare Bloemfontein celebrated its 90th birthday. Over the past 90 years, many community programmes have been successfully implemented.
FreeMasonsThe Masonic Centre, Bloemfontein, was built during the 1970s when all the
Masonic Lodges
A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...
in Bloemfontein, sold their individual properties. The centre was erected to facilitate all Masonic activities in Bloemfontein and surrounding areas. All four Constitutions that is active in South Africa, gather at the centre. The Lodges that has ownership of the centre is Lodge Unie (est. 1864); the Rising Star Lodge (est. 1865); Thistle Lodge (est.1903); Emerald Lodge (est. 1905); Lodge Dagbreek (est. 1932) & Lodge Oranje (est. 1964). Various side degrees are catered for at the Centre which includes the Mark, Ark, the Royal Arch & Rose Croix. Bloemfontein has a rich Masonic history especially in the Anglo Boer War (1899–1902), with members such as
Lord Kitchener Lord Kitchener may refer to:
* Earl Kitchener, for the title
* Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, (; 24 June 1850 – 5 June 1916) was a senior British Army officer and colonial administrator. ...
,
Rudyard Kipling and
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, visiting Lodges in Bloemfontein.
International relations
Sister cities
*
Nanjing, China
*
Bhubaneshwar
Bhubaneswar (; ) is the capital and largest city of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Odisha. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Ekamra Kshetra'' (area (''kshetra'') adorned with mango tr ...
, India
References
External links
BloemfonteinThe official Mangaung Local Municipality website
*
Apartheid and housing in Mangaung and Botshabelo
{{Authority control
Populated places in Mangaung
Cities in South Africa
Provincial capitals in South Africa
Capitals in Africa
Populated places established in 1846
Bloemfontein
Second Boer War concentration camps
1846 establishments in Africa