Laingsburg (Afrikaans pronunciation: [ˈlainzbœrχ]) is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is a fairly large town in the dry Great Karoo region. The town's economy depends on farming goats, sheep, fruits, and vegetables. Two main roads, the N1 and the R323, connect Laingsburg.

People first settled in the area that became Laingsburg around 1727 or 1728. A train stop was built there in 1878, and the town was then called Buffelsrivier. Later, it was renamed Nassau and finally Laingsburg. In 1904, Laingsburg became a municipality. In 1981, a sudden flood, known as the Laingsburg Flood, almost completely covered the town and caused a lot of damage.

History

Following the arrival of early Dutch, German, and Huguenot settlers between 1727 and 1728, the area was settled by 18 Trekboer farmer families who moved from Riebeek-Kasteel and Swellendam. These families were led by the Meiring, Bezuidenhout, Botha, van Rooyen, van Heerden, Holtzhausen, Eksteen, Du Plooy, Roussouw, Joubert, and Viljoen families. They established sheep and orange farms in the region. In 1738, the settlement formed a Commando militia platoon with 20 Riflemen, 5 Mounted Riflemen, 2 field guns, and 8 gunners. Commandant Cornelius Steyn and Field Cornet Petrus Holtzhausen led the group until the 1760s. During the 1760s, the Commando conducted long-distance raids into Beaufort West and Nelspoort to recover lost cattle and sheep. In 1774, the settlement sent a group of 30 Mounted Riflemen and Mounted Artillerymen with two 80 mm field cannons to scout the area near Graaff Reinet. They fought a battle with 500 native tribes and won. They also briefly clashed with a VOC military group led by Field Cornet Arnoldus van der Merwe and Kapitein Gerhardus Swanepoel, who traveled from Oudtshoorn. In 1778, 15 families from Laingsburg, totaling 162 White settlers, became the first pioneers to settle in Graaff Reinet. These families included the van der Westhuizen, van Heerden, van Zyl, Bronkhorst, Blignaut, Steyn, Holtzhausen, Reynecke, Eksteen, Engelbrecht, Viljoen, Rousouw, and Terre Blanche families.

In the 1870s, Prime Minister John Molteno oversaw the expansion of the Cape Colony’s railway system. The route, chosen by Molteno using a map, pen, and ruler, passed near a farm called Vischkuil-aan-de-Buffelsrivier (fish pond on the Buffalo River). A man named Stephanus Greeff purchased the land for development. The railway line was completed in 1878, and a small siding named Buffelsrivier was built at the farm. With railway access, a town began to grow. It was renamed Nassau to avoid confusion with Buffalo River in East London and later changed to Laingsburg, named after John Laing, who was Commissioner of Crown Lands at the time. The town was originally called Laing’s Town, but Afrikaans-speaking residents began calling it “Links Toon,” meaning “left toe.” The name was eventually changed to Laingsburg.

The town was laid out in 1881 and became a municipality in 1904. The Laingsburg Local Municipality later expanded to include Bergsig, Goldnerville, and Matjiesfontein.

On 25 January 1981, during Laingsburg’s centennial year, a severe flood destroyed much of the town. A heavy rainstorm in the northeastern area of Komsberg caused a massive wall of water to rush down the Buffels River. The flood swept away homes, animals, and people, leaving debris and silt in its path. Hydrologists estimate such a flood occurs, on average, once every 100 years.

Before the flood, light rain began, which farmers welcomed because the region rarely received rain. However, the soil could not absorb much water, causing it to flow directly into rivers. Water built up in the Baviaans, Wilgerhout, and Buffels Rivers, which converged near the town. The rivers quickly grew into towering walls of water nearly 6 meters high. Within hours, the entire town was underwater, and residents struggled to survive.

During the flood, “The Great Trek Monument,” built in 1938 to honor the 100th anniversary of the Great Trek, was washed away. After the flood, most of the monument was recovered, but its base was lost. In June 2015, Andries Gertse found the base along the Buffels River near the Railroad Bridge. The monument was later re-erected on a hill near the N1 with a new base. The recovered base was placed in the Flood Museum as a reminder of the flood’s power.

The flood caused 104 deaths, with only 32 bodies recovered. Of the 184 homes in the town, only 21 remained untouched by water. The rest were either destroyed or severely damaged and had to be rebuilt.

Geography

Laingsburg is located along the N1 road at Lat: -33.20, Long: 20.85, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The town is in the Great Karoo, a dry area of South Africa with very little rainfall. The town receives about 150mm of rain each year. Its main water source is a natural fountain in the Moordenaars Karoo area. Although the Buffels River flows through the town, it rarely has water. Summers are very hot and dry, with temperatures often above 30 °C. Winters are cool to very cold, and snow sometimes falls in nearby areas. The Seweweekspoort Pass is found along the R323 road to the south of the town.

Economy

Laingsburg's economy is mainly based on farming goats, sheep, lucerne (alfalfa), fruit, and vegetables.