Perdekop

Perdekop, (Afrikaans for horses hill), is a small town situated on top of a 1,889 m peak in the Mpumalanga province, in South Africa. It is a village 38 km north of Volksrust and 47 km south of Standerton.

Perdekop
Perdekop
Perdekop
Coordinates: 27°10′S 29°38′E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceMpumalanga
DistrictGert Sibande
MunicipalityPixley Ka Seme
Area
 • Total7.73 km2 (2.98 sq mi)
Elevation
1,889 m (6,198 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total5,081
 • Density660/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African97.4%
 • Coloured0.3%
 • Indian/Asian1.7%
 • White0.4%
 • Other0.2%
First languages (2011)
 • Zulu82.3%
 • Sotho9.9%
 • English1.7%
 • S. Ndebele1.5%
 • Other4.6%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
2465
PO box
2465
Area code017

History

Formerly Paardekop, ‘horses hill’, from the practice of keeping horses there when horse-sickness prevailed in lower lying areas.[2]

The town was established during an equine sickness epidemic when farmers found that when they brought their horses to the top of this hill they were protected from the sickness.[3]:303 During the Second Boer War the British operated a lookout balloon here to monitor Boer activities.

References
  1. "Main Place Perdekop". Census 2011.
  2. "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 363.
  3. Erasmus, B.P.J. (2014). On Route in South Africa: Explore South Africa region by region. Jonathan Ball Publishers. p. 401. ISBN 9781920289805.
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