South Africa > Gauteng > West Rand > Roodepoort
Accommodation in Roodepoort, West Rand, Gauteng
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Roodepoort in the West Rand Region of Gauteng, South Africa
Roodepoort is a large residential area which is in parts dominated by light industry and small businesses. Roodepoort was established as far back as 1884, when Fred Struben discovered the first payable gold in the area at what he called the Confidence Reef, a large rocky outcrop in the centre of Roodepoort.
Although Roodepoort is far to the west of the city centre, well-marked dual-carriage highways offer excellent transport routes. Roodepoort is the region most conveniently situated for access to Gauteng attractions such as the Cradle of Humankind, Magaliesburg and Pilanesburg.
The Roodepoort area is self-contained, offering a wide range of services including ample shopping centres, schools, a museum, major private hospitals such as Olivedale, Wilgeheuwel and Flora Clinic - country lodges, trails and restaurants, golf courses and country clubs.
Roodepoort has a growing student population due to the presence of Monash University South Africa and has seen large population growth due to Johannesburg urban sprawl. This is one of the gateways to Johannesburg from Northern areas of South Africa and Botswana and so it has economic and logistical importance. Areas of interest for entertainment include the highly popular Stones nightclub at Featherbrooke Village shopping centre which is one of the student hotspots.
Roodepoort, meaning "red valley" in Afrikaans, is a sprawling residential area, in parts dominated by light industry and small businesses. It gets its name from the red soil in the area. It dates back to 1884, when Fred Struben discovered the first payable gold in the area at what he called the Confidence Reef, a large rocky outcrop in the centre of Roodepoort.
At the time the area was settled by scattered Boer farmers on nine farms. Four of the farms - Roodepoort, Vogelstruisfontein, Paardekraal and Wilgrespruit - were soon declared public diggings.
The city of Roodepoort originated when Jan Bantjies secured the prospecting rights on the farm Roodepoort. Gold was discovered the following year and the farm was declared open for public diggings. Other discoveries followed and as the diggers needed a place to pitch their tents, the farm Roodepoort opened up its land.
A shantytown sprang up. Between 1886 and 1888, four mining towns, Roodepoort, Florida, Hamberg and Maraisburg, were proclaimed. The Goldfields Diggers Committee was formed in 1886 to represent the farmers' interests. This was the first form of local government in the area, which became known as Roodepoort-Maraisburg.
The search for gold spread, and in 1886 the main reef at Langlaagte in Johannesburg was discovered. The gold at Confidence Reef, mostly surface gold in quartz rock, soon ran out, but by then a settled community was established in Roodepoort.
In 1903 the Roodepoort-Maraisburg Urban District Board was established, and the first election was held in January 1904. The status of the Board was soon raised to that of a municipality, and in 1963 the Roodepoort-Maraisburg municipality was changed to Roodepoort and city status was granted in 1977 (at which time Maraisburg was dropped from the name).
Roodepoort retains some of its early historic buildings. The Old House on the corner of 3rd Street and Boundary Road consists of an early three-roomed wood and iron structure, which soon had a veranda and railing added to become an attractive cottage. The old municipal offices in Berlandina Street, an attractive plaster and stone building now used as a Roodepoort branch library, were declared a national monument in 1985. Another national monument is the old Roodepoort Town School in Rex Street, on the site of the original building erected in 1894.
