Villiers

Free State river country · Villiers

Your weekend on the Vaal River starts here

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What to do in Villiers

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Fish

The Vaal River is a well-known fishing water. Fish from the bank or hire a boat and guide.

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Sail & paddle

Sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding and boat cruises on one of South Africa's biggest dams.

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Braai

Stock up at local butcheries and farm stalls and braai with a view.

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Birds & walks

Quiet shoreline walks and birdwatching, especially early in the morning.

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Family time

Parks, playgrounds, picnics and relaxed lunches by the water.

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Sunsets

End the day on a deck or boat while the sun sets over the river.

History of Villiers

Situated on the border of the Free State and Mpumalanga along the Vaal River, Villiers began as an essential, high-traffic river crossing on the transport route between Durban and the booming goldfields of Johannesburg. Before modern highway bridges, the original drift could become severely congested: after heavy rains, as many as 300 ox-wagons might queue to cross. Toll houses on either side of the border between the Free State and the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (Transvaal) made the crossing a lucrative one.

Key historical milestones

  1. 1882

    Villiers is laid out

    The town was laid out on the farms Pearson Valley and Grootdraai. It was named after the farms' owner, Lourens de Villiers.

  2. 1891

    Official proclamation

    State President of the Free State Republic F.W. Reitz formally proclaimed Villiers a town.

  3. 1899–1902

    Anglo-Boer War devastation

    British forces destroyed the town: its buildings were burnt or dismantled, with the local jail famously surviving. Years later, the jail served as an overnight holding cell for Nelson Mandela.

  4. 1914

    A ferry crosses the Vaal

    When rainy-season floods made the drift impassable and trade ground to a halt, a ferry service (pont) was installed. For 10 shillings, transport riders could take wagons and livestock across the river.

    The Vaal River at Villiers, viewed from a crossing
    The Vaal River at Villiers, along the route of the historic crossing.
  5. 1925

    The railway arrives

    The railway line reached Villiers from nearby Frankfort. The station is no longer in use, but the historic rail bridge over the Vaal remains and is now a pedestrian crossing.

Sandstone, brick and a town rebuilt

After the destruction of the war, Villiers was rapidly rebuilt using the beautiful dark sandstone of the eastern Free State. The 1904 Post Office and the local school are among the structures built in this stone.

The central Dutch Reformed (NG) Church took a different direction. Designed by architects Geers & Geers and built in 1940, it is a modernist brick landmark.

The brick Dutch Reformed Church in Villiers
The Dutch Reformed Church, built in 1940.

Today, Villiers and the adjacent township of Qalabotjha remain an important agricultural hub and a familiar landmark for travellers crossing the Vaal River on the modern N3 highway.

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