Former name of Jan Kempdorp. Named after the region in southern Spain, which was the ancient maritime kingdom of Tarshish. Jan Kempdorp was laid out on the Farm Andalusia and that's were the first name came from! During the Second World War, it was the site of a concentration camp housing German men, regarded as potentially dangerous by the authorities. The first Settlers bought plots in 1838 and the Town was proclaimed in 1953 and named after General Jan Kemp, a former Minister of Lands. Municipal status was attained in 1967. Originally, the border between the Cape and Transvaal provinces, ran through the Town, making it the only Town in South Africa that was in two Provinces. This also led to confusion about the administration until in 1964 it was decided by Parliament that the Town would fall in the Cape Province.
Place record
Andalusia, Cape and Transvaal Border
- Coordinates
- 24.8300, -27.9210
- Updated
- 1 Jun 2020

a Cartoon Depicting WW2 Image source
Location Map
Andalusia, Cape and Transvaal Border
How we know this
- 01New Dictionary of South African Place Names by Peter E. Raper.
Last updated · 1 Jun 2020
South African History Online. (2016, September 22). Andalusia, Cape and Transvaal Border. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/xh/ref/P-0121988
South African History Online (2016) 'Andalusia, Cape and Transvaal Border', South African History Online, 22 September. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/xh/ref/P-0121988 (Accessed: 22 July 2026).
South African History Online, Andalusia, Cape and Transvaal Border [website], https://sahistory.org.za/xh/ref/P-0121988, (accessed 22 July 2026).
"Andalusia, Cape and Transvaal Border." South African History Online, 22 Sept. 2016, https://sahistory.org.za/xh/ref/P-0121988. Accessed 22 July 2026.
South African History Online. "Andalusia, Cape and Transvaal Border." South African History Online. September 22, 2016. https://sahistory.org.za/xh/ref/P-0121988.
Further reading
Grade 5 - Term 4: A Heritage trail through the provinces of South Africa
Blyde River Canyon, Mpumalanga
Bisho, Capital of the Eastern Cape
Hogsback, Eastern Cape
What is heritage?
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