Ermelo

Afrikaans name: Ermelo

Ermelo CBD

Photo © Steven Herbert

Mpumalanga

Although the area around Ermelo has ruins dating back to about 1400 AD, the towns history can be traced back to 1870. Frans Lion Cachet, a Reverend from the Dutch Reformed Church, established a congregation in the area. Cachet had been inspired by Hermanus Willem Witteveen who lived in Ermelo in Netherlands and he named the new town after the Dutch city. Today Ermelo has a population of around 85,000 people.

During the second Boer War the town was almost flattened by the British. It is said that only one house was left standing. A magnificent statue was erected in the town to commemorate the men that gave their lives during the Anglo-Boer War.

The area surrounding Ermelo is used for a number of different types of farming. Amongst others there is wool, cattle, potatoes and maize. Mines in the area produce coal, torbanite and anthracite.

The town does not offer too much in the way of attractions for visitors but it is serviced by three major roads and does offer easy access to a number of attractions within an hours drive.

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References and further reading

Book of the Road - 4th edition - Author: MapStudio - Year Published: 2019 - Page: 116

Conolly's Guide to Southern Africa - Author: Denis Conolly - Year Published: 1982 - Page: 291

On Route - A region by region guide to South Africa - Author: B.P.J. Erasmus - Year Published: 1995 - Page: 173

Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide to Southern Africa - 4th edition - Author: - Year Published: 1986 - Page: 221

Southern Africa from the Highway - Author: AA RSA - Year Published: 1991 - Page: 24

The Pictorial Motoring Atlas of South Africa - Author: Maxwell Leigh - Year Published: 1987 - Page: 123