Things To Do in Potchefstroom, South Africa

Potchefstroom Things to Do

While Potchefstroom, South Africa, is mostly an academic city (home to the Potchefstroom campus of North-West University), the area is rich in history and culture. We have put together a short list of things to do while visiting Potchefstroom, South Africa.

Trim Park

Just outside of City Hall, Trim Park features a small memorial complete with a carved stone statue. The memorial is for the founding of Potchefstroom in 1838. The carved statue shows people of the Voortrekker era when Potchefstroom was established. The statue symbolizes the Afrikaaners who traveled northward to increase their distance from British settlers. Take a tour through the park on a nice day and be sure to stop at this beautiful stone carving.

Goetz Fleischack Museum

The museum is located in the former home of the local magistrate. More significant than the museum is probably the building itself. The home is the last surviving building of the mid-19th-century townhomes that once lined the streets of Potchefstroom’s New Market Square. The home was built between 1860 and 1863 and looks more like a farm building than a townhome in the city center. The museum is open daily for tours but closes its doors from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. daily for lunch.

The First Dutch Reformed Church

Originally built between 1867 and 1868, this church is located at the corner of Potgieter and Van Riebeeck Street. Destroyed completely in 1881 as part of the First Boer War, the church was rebuilt between 1894 and 1987. The significance of this church is that the President of the Republic, Paul Kruger, laid the foundation stone. Although the church was destroyed in a 2007 fire, the entire building has been fully restored since.

Editor’s note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about areas to things to do in Potchefstroom.