Discovering Boksburg: A Blend of History and Modernity in South Africa

Nov 11, 2025 0

Discover Boksburg, a city on the East Rand of Gauteng province of South Africa, where history and modernity blend seamlessly. Boksburg is a city on the East Rand of Gauteng province of South Africa. Boksburg, a charming city located in the Gauteng province of South Africa, is often a point of interest for locals and tourists alike.

As a burgeoning area, it not only boasts a rich history but also a unique cultural significance that intrigues visitors. Boksburg, a quiet city in the East Rand of Gauteng has become one of the province’s most popular regions. The city’s history is a rich one, dating back to the early 1800s; a time where revolutions and developments were ripe all over the world and a move towards the modern era had begun.

Boksburg was originally set up as one of South Africa’s first mining towns and has since flourished as an industrial area that doubles as a family-orientated part of the greater Gauteng region. The area has come a long way since its humble beginnings.

Location of Gauteng Province in South Africa

The Origins of Boksburg

Founded in 1887 following the discovery of gold, Boksburg was named in honor of W. Eduard Bok, the State Secretary of the South African Republic. Boksburg was named after the State Secretary of the South African Republic, W. Eduard Bok. Originally, Boksburg was laid out in 1887 to serve the surrounding gold mines, and named after the State Secretary of the South African Republic, Eduard Bok.

At the core of understanding the meaning of Boksburg, we need to explore its etymology and historical context. The name ‘Boksburg’ is derived from the Dutch word ‘Bok,’ which means ‘goat,’ and the suffix ‘-s’ indicates a relationship or belonging. This essentially links back to the term ‘Bokke‘ or ‘goats’ in English.

Prior to 1860, the present municipal area of Boksburg and its immediate environs comprised mainly the highveld farms called Leeuwpoort, Klippoortje, Klipfontein and Driefontein. Carl Ziervogel bought the farm Leeuwpoort in 1875 and for 300 morgen (approx. 257 hectares) of barren, rocky veld he paid £75. Samples of the quartz were sent to Pretoria for assaying, which confirmed the presence of gold.

Killian advised Dr W.E. of the results of the assay. The result was the proclamation, on 10 March 1887, of the two farms as public diggings. Cornish miners were brought out to work the diggings. Mr Abe Bailey of the Barnato Group, which owned the Johannesburg Consolidated Investment Company(JCI), bought the farm Leeuwpoort in 1894 for £100,000.

Gold was also found at Elsburg, 8 km to the southwest. Elsburg was a recognized stopping point for coaches and wagon traffic. The first Government offices were at Elsburg and what was to become Boksburg, was but a suburb of Elsburg. With the real centre of mining being centred on Boksburg, however, President Paul Kruger ordered that a new town be laid out to accommodate the miners.

Land for the new town was released by having the boundaries of the farms Leeuwpoort, Driefontein and Klipfontein moved back from where they met. The newly created farm was called Vogelfontein, on which 1000 stands of 15 m × 15 m (50 ft × 50 ft) each were created. The new town of Boksburg was named after Dr Bok. Also in 1887 the Republican Government built the Post Office and the Mining Commissioner's office.

In 1888 coal deposits were discovered right on the boundary of the new town, and here coal was first mined in the Transvaal. This started an era of company promotion and syndicate formation, with ground fetching high prices. Enterprises of all kinds were set up and Boksburg began to emerge from a mining camp atmosphere to a fully-fledged town.

The Town of Boksburg was founded in 1887 as the Administrative Centre of the East Rand. It is the second oldest Town on the Witwatersrand. Boksburg was an important Mining Town with coal and some gold Mining taking place. Coal mining was the most important mining operation. Towards the 20th Century, the economy of the Town diversified to incorporate manufacturing of railroad equipment, electrical and metal goods, clay products, canned foods, and refined petroleum.

In 1903 Boksburg became a Municipality, which was later incorporated into the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality after the introduction of non racial local Government across South Africa in 2001. Known for its rich mining history, Boksburg has evolved into a significant gold-producing town on the Witwatersrand, showcasing a blend of cultural heritage and contemporary charm. It has become one of the most important gold-producing towns on the Witwatersrand.

Boksburg boasts a diversified industrial and mining centre. It is the business hub of Ekurhuleni, hosting the head offices of major companies such as: Macsteel, Fraser Alexander and EL Bateman. It is also home to factories for global consumers maufacturers Unilever and Colgate Palmolive. Africa's biggest consumer brand company Tiger Brands also have a factory in Boksburg.

One of Boksburg's earliest pioneers, Mr B Owen Jones, a chemist by profession, arrived in the area in the mid-1880s. He started a business supplying the new mining fraternity with the heavy chemical and laboratory equipment needed. As the population grew an entrepreneurial Mr B Owen Jones diversified his chemical business to fulfill the needs of the growing communities in the region. He started importing medicinal and fancy goods and opened a wholesale chemist shop in Boksburg followed by a manufacturing plant in Standerton and as the needs of the population grew he opened more chemist shops in Van Rhyn, Springs, Benoni, Brakpan and Standerton.

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Besides holding the office as the first Mayor of Boksburg, a post he held three times, 1903/1904, 1904/1905 and 1911/1912, he had the distinction of holding the office of President of the Transvaal Pharmaceutical Board from 1904 to 1908.

The miners and their families who formed part of the original residents of Boksburg developed various amenities within the city; schools, parks and shops were among some of the first things built within the region. Even today - almost two centuries later - the schools in Boksburg stand tall and proud. An impressive number of Gauteng’s top students have triumphed from the education afforded to them in Boksburg.

Boksburg has long been seen as an ideal place for businesses and families to settle in, making it the perfect area to start a family or find your dream job. A tasteful combination of new property developments and glorious houses dating back to the 1800s means that Boksburg has the achieved the perfect balance of old and new-world glamour. Finding the perfect home in Boksburg is almost no task at all. If you value safety, the Boksburg area is worth considering.

Montague White and the Boksburg Lake

The Mining Commissioner Montague White built a large dam which, empty for years, was dubbed White's Folly until a flash flood in 1889 silenced detractors. The Mining Commissioner Montague White built a large dam which, empty for years, was dubbed White's Folly until a flashflood in 1889 silenced detractors. One of the premier features of Boksburg is the large dam built by Mining Commissioner, Montague White.

The mine owners strongly advocated a railway line between Johannesburg and Boksburg, but this was opposed by the wagoners. President Kruger managed to persuade the Volksraad to approve the building of a "tram" line, ostensibly to transport passengers only! The Rand Tram (so named to appease the transport riders) opened in 1890, between Johannesburg's Park station and Boksburg station. The line was subsequently extended to Brakpan and Springs, where large deposits of superior quality coal had been discovered.

Immediately to the north of Boksburg Township was a large muddy vlei fed by a small stream from the North-East. This vlei was the only watering place for stock between Middelburg and Johannesburg and the government received strong representations from transport riders and others for improved watering facilities near the public outspan west of the town. It was accordingly decided to build a small dam at the outlet of the vlei.

Work on the dam was not proceeding satisfactorily, so Montague White, appointed Mining Commissioner of the Boksburg Goldfields in 1888, was asked by President Kruger to look into the matter. White said soon after arriving in Boksburg that the place was one of the "most uninviting spots" he had ever seen. White was able to persuade a reluctant President to build a larger dam than was originally envisaged, because he visualised the ugly vlei being transformed into a beautiful lake fringed with trees.

However, after completion, the new lake stood empty for nearly two years and became known as "White's folly". In 1891 the rains came, there was a cloudburst north of the dam one night and the next morning the citizens awoke to find a large lake filled and running over. It became what is now known as the Boksburg Lake. This spectacular lake is over 150,000 square metres and is surrounded by lawns, trees, and terraces. This is a popular boating, fishing, watersport and hiking destination for many. The scenery here is lovely and many families enjoy blissful and entertaining days here.

Boksburg Lake

Racial Segregation and Reiger Park

After the discovery of gold in the late 1800s, people of all races flocked to Boksburg; some hoped to get rich, others just wanted employment. Most workers initially resided in the Boksburg North area but another area was later established for all mine workers dubbed, Julewe, the Zuluword for Place of Work. The Government of the time declared that all coloured, Asian and black people should live in Julewe, which was situated between two wetlands and close to the Cinderella and Hercules Mine Shafts.

Julewe was divided in two by the main road, Church Road, running through it, with black mine workers on the one side, and coloureds, who moved to the Transvaal from the Eastern Cape, on the other. The Julewe community soon started schools and churches, and the Boksburg Coloured School, now known as Goedehoop Primary, is the oldest school in Boksburg, as it opened in 1905, with Mr G W Van Rooyen as the principal.

By 1911, the township was renamed Stirtonville, after the superintendent of the area. As a precaution, and to monitor the number of residents in the area, residents of Stirtonville each received a residential permit, while people who wanted to visit family or friends residing in the township, had to obtain a temporary day-pass, in order to enter the township, but even the strict control of the "Black Jack" officers who patrolled the township, failed to detect a few people creeping in and hiding away in the dense township. One of the people who did this, is one of the most iconic people in the world, the Nobel prize-winner and former President Nelson Mandela.

It is rumoured that Mandela hid in Stirtonville, with authorities hot on his heels. Years later, Mandela returned to this area, where he was given the Freedom of the City. In 1962 the community decided to rename the suburb to Reiger Park. During the 1960s, all the black residents were moved to a new township on the border of Boksburg and Germiston, called Vosloorus and the Asian residents to Actonville, and Stirtonville became the sole residential area of the coloured community.

Two years later, the town council agreed to change the street names, which were mainly African in origin. The Reiger Park Stadium was built upon a cemetery, mainly used for Chinese mine workers; the remains were never removed. Reiger Park has developed a fearful reputation, mainly due to gang violence. Today it is a community focussed on change and remains positive to build a bright future. The oldest mosque in the Gauteng area was also to be found in this suburb, but a 2003 fire destroyed it completely.

Freemasonry in Boksburg

A number of Freemasons gathered in Boksburg in November 1892, and having decided to form a lodge, voted as to whether it should be 'English' or 'Scottish'. The former prevailed by the narrowest of margins (13 to 12). By courtesy of the Landdrost the Lodge was able to meet in the Court House for two years but no time was wasted in finding a 'permanent' home, which was built and ready for occupation by 1895.

After the 1899-1902 recess, the Lodge extended its premises, incurring a debt which was to take 30 years to liquidate. In the aftermath of the Second World War the Lodge went through a somewhat stagnant period but recovered by the end of the 1950s. An outstanding personal contribution to Freemasonry in the Transvaal was made by the WM in 1907/8, Bro R S Rigg, who was successively DG Registrar, President of the Board of General Purposes and Deputy District Grand Master between 1925 and 1940.

Consumer Boycott and Political Activism

On 30 November 1988 the town councils of Vosloorus and Reiger Park staged a consumer boycott in Boksburg. The boycott by Black and Coloured residents followed the reintroduction of petty apartheid measures by the Conservative Party (CP) controlled town council. In the local elections of October 1988 the CP won 12 of 20 council seats.

At its first meeting, the new Council decreed that it would begin rigorously enforcing the Separate Amenities Act, a by-then largely ignored law that re-established Whites-only toilets, parks and sports facilities. The two Townships found enthusiastic corporate support. A number of multinational companies like Colgate-Palmolive, American Cyanamid and Unilever provided buses to ferry shoppers to stores in neighbouring towns, cancelled expansion plans and ran advertisements denouncing the racist Council. The economy of the town suffered and several businesses had to close down.

Transportation

Boksburg is ideally positioned between the N12 and N17 highways, offering visitors an easy commute to and from major towns, including Brakpan, Benoni, Germiston, Alberton, and Johannesburg. Boksburg is served with a well-developed transportation system. It has 3 national routes and 3 regional routes, the N3, N12, N17, R21, R29 and the R555. Through these routes. Boksburg is also served by the Metrorail line, the Springs-Johannesburg line and OR Tambo International Airport.

OR Tambo International Airport

Although situated in Kempton Park, not Boksburg, OR Tambo International Airport is only a 5 minute drive from Boksburg. OR Tambo International Airport is the hub for most international and domestic travel from and in South Africa and is able to cope with 28 million passengers per year. The OR Tambo Airport is also the centre for South African Airways which is South Africa’s largest domestic and international flight carrier as well as local airlines that fly domestically.

OR Tambo International Airport

Attractions and Amenities

Boksburg is any shoppers delight. It boasts the East Rand Mall in the busy suburb of Jansen Park, which is one of the most popular and biggest malls in Gauteng. This makes Boksburg the ideal city for those seeking employment. A variety in developments and free standing houses from low cost to affordable and higher end makes Boksburg attractive to not only investors, but also blue collar individuals.

The range of hotels and self-catering accommodation in Boksburg is impressive; giving visitors to South Africa plenty of variety from which to choose when they stay in Johannesburg. Residents of Boksburg form part of a bustling community that is home to large industry and commerce, great shopping experiences and varied entertainment. The opportunities in the region attract a huge diversity of people which is reflected by the vast array of properties to choose from that sit all along the spectrum from entry level to luxurious.

Other places of interest in Boksburg include the Tambo Memorial Hospital (previously called Boksburg Benoni Hospital). These include the Old Post Office, the Law Court, St Michaels and All Angels Anglican Church, Hechter-Shuiz Museum, and a few gold mines.

East Rand Mall

East Rand Mall is situated only 7 km from South Africa's busiest airport, OR Tambo International Airport. East Rand Mall is a 69 000 m², regional shopping mall situated a mere 7 km from South Africa’s busiest airport, OR Tambo International Airport. The centre's well-planned tenant combination includes all of South Africa's Major Chain Stores and a host of smaller specialised stores. East Rand Mall's extensive range of entertainment includes a massive kids trampoline arena called iJump, a colorful movie experience for the little ones with a separate section, a 7 cinema movie theatre, restaurants and coffee shops.

East Rand Mall Interior

#Drive #WithMe - East Point Shopping Centre | East Rand Mall | Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA

Wild Waters Boksburg

Wild Waters Boksburg offers the ultimate entertainment experience - combining the excitement of a water park with other family favorite activities. They have 7 thrilling water activities and your admission price covers unlimited use! Since 1984, they’ve provided a safe, fun-filled environment, with great food, and a lively atmosphere. Stop by and get ready to play! Located in Bardene, Boksburg.

The Bokkie Park

The Bokkie Park is a lovely, secured playground for the children. With bunnies and peacocks running around, just waiting to be fed. There are several petting areas with enclosed farmyard animals and pony and camel rides on the weekends. The park also has a dam with ducks and geese. It is open from 8am to 5pm. You can bring a picnic, use the braai facilities or buy snacks and drinks from the kiosk. Once a month the park hosts a market day with a variety of different vendors. It is the prefect family outing! Located in Parkdene, Boksburg.

The East Rand Flea Market

The East Rand Flea Market lies right next to the East Rand Mall, and as a result, is open just about all week, except for Mondays, to sell its wares to shoppers, who delight in the array of goods that range from African artwork, to any number of handcrafted goods, a budding home industry, and just about any type of plastic gadget known to man. Enjoy browsing your way through the stalls and stop at one of the numerous food vendors for a hot dog, boerewors roll or samoosa. The East Rand Flea Market is just 7 kilometres away from OR Tambo International Airport.

ERPM Golf Club

Founded in 1903, ERPM Golf Course is rated 94 in Golf Digest 2016 top 100 Golf Courses of South Africa. ERPM Golf Course is located just outside the beautiful Boksburg suburb of Boksburg West . It boasts an immaculate 18 hole golf course. Full catering with an exceptional venue is available for all functions.

ERPM/ Boksburg Rugby Club

ERPM rugby club was established in 1903 by the ERPM mine. The club adopted the badge of the mine as its logo. The prominent part of the badge is the owl and the club nickname became Hooters. The mining rugby clubs, ERPM, Rand Leases, Simmer and Jack, Diggers and Pirates formed the core of the Transvaal Rugby Football Union. After the demise of the mine the name was changed to the Boksburg Rugby Club. The club presently form part of the Falcons Rugby Union.

Schools

Boksburg has a number of excellent private and public primary and high schools to choose from. Some examples are:

Laerskool Concordia
Martin Primary School
Wit Deep Primary School
Summerfields Primary School
Hoerskool Dr E.G Jansen
Oosrand Secondary School
Boksburg High School
Woodlands International College

Hospitals and Clinics

Boksburg has hospitals and clinics available, notably:

Netcare Sunward Park Hospital
Tambo Memorial Hospital
Medicross Medical Centre
Boksburg North Clinic

Located in Sunward Park, Boksburg, Netcare Sunward Park has been serving the East Rand community with a comprehensive range of healthcare services for more than 20 years. Their 214-bed facility is set in a tranquil environment yet is easily accessible from Midrand, Pretoria, Johannesburg and OR Tambo International Airport.

Accommodation

47 on Manson
The Boksburg Hotel
Fin and Feather Guesthouse
El Ridge A4, A5, A6, A2, A8, A7, A3
Sonyador
24 On Vrey Boutique Hotel
Armagh Guesthouse
Airport Gardens Boutique Hotel
Ikaze Guest House
Sunward Guest House
The Celtis Lane Guest House

Mayors of Boksburg

List of Mayors of Boksburg:

Mayor
Mr W.
Mr J.F.
Mr W.
Mr J.E.
Mr C.J.
Mr G.W.
Mr H.G.
Mr Thomas R.
Mr W.E.
Mr Thomas R.
Mr P.
Mr P.
Mr P.
Mr H.G.
Mr P.
Mr M.J.
Mr J.
Mrs E.
Mr J.M.
Mr J.
Mrs E.
Mr J.
Mrs E.
Mr R.
Mr C.
Mr R.
Mrs S.
Mr A.
Mr A.J.
Mr Andrew F.
Mr J.
Mr P.
Mr B.
Mr P.
Mr B.
Mr B.
Mr J.
Mr J.H.A.
Mr W.
Mr J.H.A.
Mr E.
Mr P.H.
Mr S.
Mr J.F.P.
Mr J.S.
Mr J.M.
Mr Thomas J.
Mr J.S.
Mr A.P.
Mr E.
Mr Thomas J.
Mr K.
Mr J.E.
Mrs S.C.M.
Mr A.
Mr F.J.
Mr G.J.
Mr J.F.
Mr F.J.
H.
Mr F.J.H.
Mr J.F.P.
Mr G.J.